British gambling industry charities GamCare and the Young Gamers and Gamblers Education Trust (YGAM) are to launch a new education and support programme in Northern Ireland.
The initiative will see Belfast-based charity Youth Work Alliance work with YGAM to deliver evidence-led and evaluated training to teachers and youth workers across the country.
Staff will also be able to access City & Guilds assured training and education resources, which provide a full curriculum of lesson plans for primary and secondary age children, as well as youth work specific resources.
“The work we are doing with YGAM, working alongside GamCare, delivering their training and resources on the ground here in Belfast and across Northern Ireland is going to be a huge benefit to our local communities,” Youth Work Alliance chief executive Stephen Dallas said.
“Gambling-related harms have been presented as a hidden issue in Northern Ireland for many years, which makes it even more vital for us to ensure children and vulnerable people are informed, educated and safeguarded against the potential harms associated with gambling and increasingly, gaming too.”
YGAM founder and chief executive Lee Willows added: “As well as educating, informing, and safeguarding, it is also vital that we raise awareness and start a conversation about those very personal experiences of gambling related harms in communities across Northern Ireland.”
The launch comes after YGAM last month added James Matthewson, previously spokesperson for former Labour Party chairman Ian Lavery MP, and Jo Burnham to its communications team.
Last week, GamCare also entered a partnership Gamban to offer a self-exclusion solution free of charge to all UK residents. Anyone in the UK experiencing gambling related harm can claim Gamban for free by speaking with a Gamcare National Gambling Helpline advisor.
