GamCare Announced ‘Way Forward’ Online Seminars for Women

Provider of information, advice and support for anyone affected by gambling harm in the UK, GamCare, announced a new initiative aimed at women who have been impacted by someone else’s gambling.

Safe Space for Sharing Experiences

Way Forward, an online support group for women who are indirectly affected by gambling harm will run sessions on Zoom every Tuesday for six weeks beginning October 18, creating a safe and confidential space for women to share their experiences.

Overseen by trained facilitators specializing in supporting women, each session will focus on different areas of the gambling impact a partner’s or family member’s gambling has on women around them.

The first two weeks will address the indirect impact of gambling in general terms, while in the last four sessions, women will receive practical advice on how to take care of themselves, deal with guilt, shame, anger, and resentment, as well as have the difficult conversations with their loved ones or family members.

Way Forward is the latest display of GamCare’s commitment to addressing gambling harm for women and providing dedicated support to those experiencing the negative impact of excessive gambling, either directly or via a partner, family member or relative.

Women Also Suffer from Gambling Harm

Launched in 2019, GamCare’s ‘Women’s Programme’ registered an increase of 6% in the number of women in the UK who have sought gambling support over the past year, attributing it to the program, among other factors.

Earlier in the year, GamCare reported a significant improvement in the understanding of gambling-related harm and its negative impact on many areas of life among working adults in the UK, following the second round of its ‘Women’s Programme’ seminars.

The training program reached out to 918 organizations in the UK, seeking to improve professionals’ knowledge on how to assist female employees experiencing distress or gambling-related harm, acting on the finding that most women would not seek help themselves due to stigma.

The report on the progress of the gambling harm training program was prepared in collaboration with inFocus Consulting, the consultancy tasked with monitoring the progress of GamCare.

The charity said that 85% of the participants in the seminars are now better equipped to understand gambling harm-related negative consequences, another 97% acknowledged that the training had helped them better understand how problem gambling may affect their female colleagues, while 96% confirmed that they now know how to act if they see a colleague suffering from excessive gambling.