YGAM Launches Ethnic Minorities Gambling Harm Awareness Program

Young Gamers & Gamblers Education Trust (YGAM), the national charity seeking to inform, educate and safeguard young and vulnerable people in the UK, launched a pioneering new education program in Greater London and the Home Counties.

Young Ethnic Minority Members Suffer Disproportionately

The new initiative is seeking to raise awareness and address gambling harm across young people from ethnic minorities which usually suffer disproportionately from gambling harm.

“We’re proud to be part of this purposeful collaboration with lived experience and diversity at its heart… YGAM will take the lead on the training of community and faith leaders who once trained will deliver the programme to young people.”

Lee Willows, CEO, YGAM

Developed in collaboration with TalkGEN CIC, Red Card Gambling Support Project CIC and Clearview Research, the ‘Preventing Gambling Harms in Diverse Communities’ program will deliver special workshops to people aged 14 to 24 from ethnic minority populations, as well as training to leaders from their communities.

“With the talent, specialist insight and commitment from all partner organisations, I am confident that collectively we’ll deliver some helpful perspectives on how to engage with minority communities, contributing to the National Strategy to Reduce Gambling Harms.”

Lee Willows, CEO, YGAM

Educational Content and Session Insights

TalkGEN and Red Card Gambling Support Project will combine resources to create educational content centered on a broad understanding of socio-cultural and religious attitudes with shame and stigma towards gambling, while YGAM and Clearview Research will provide insights for the sessions.

“We are pleased to be working with YGAM and TalkGEN on this project, as I believe we share the same goals and vision. This initiative is very much needed as gambling addiction within these hard-to-reach communities is something that is still a taboo subject so it is important we break down that barrier of stigma.”

Tony Kelly, CEO, Red Card Gambling Support Project CIC

Short films to raise gambling harm awareness among African and Asian communities, self-help information, and signposting materials according to the age of participants will be part of the 2-year pilot which sets the ambitious goal to reach directly to 16,600 young people.

“… The situation we have now is one where young people are vulnerable to harms from their gambling or a family member’s gambling, but sadly feel unable to access help and support.”

Kishan Patel, CEO, TalkGEN CIC

Clearview was also appointed to lead the creation of a Theory of Change model for the program which will seek formal assured status from City & Guilds. In addition, it will act as independent evaluation partners for the initiative which received funding from the Gambling Commission and will become part of the National Strategy to Reduce Gambling Harms.

The new program follows in the footsteps of the Gambling Harm Prevention Program, the YGAM initiative in Northern Ireland centered on evidence-based workshops and resources to teachers, workers, and young people to raise gambling harm awareness in the country.