Key points:
- GambleAware’s Community Resilience Fund has reached 100,000 people with awareness messages and provided support to over 5,900 individuals in at-risk communities
- The CRF has strengthened the capacity of community organisations to address gambling harms through training and awareness-raising initiatives
- Ongoing funding will enable further exploration of support approaches for marginalised communities
GambleAware has released an evaluation report on the first year of its Community Resilience Fund (CRF), a project aimed at reducing gambling-related harms in underserved communities across Great Britain.
This fund provided grants to 21 community-based organisations, which used the support to deliver targeted awareness campaigns and early interventions to reduce gambling harms in at-risk groups.
According to the report, the initiative reached around 100,000 individuals with awareness messages and delivered various levels of support to over 5,900 people.
The CRF recipients include charities supporting ethnic minorities, those in poverty and individuals experiencing homelessness.
Many of these organisations had limited prior experience addressing gambling harms but were well-positioned to engage with people who may not typically access gambling support.
Notably, CRF-backed organisations like Big Issue Changing Lives CIC developed new approaches to identify and support individuals struggling with gambling-related issues – distributing resources, conducting screening activities and providing referrals to mental health and addiction services.
An independent assessment by Ipsos and New Philanthropy Capital found that GambleAware’s support increased these organisations' capacity to address gambling harms.
Good to know: The CRF program will expand in the coming year, with 11 of the original organisations receiving additional funding to continue their work
Additionally, staff reported greater confidence and awareness, contributing to improved early intervention efforts.
Despite substantial outreach, however, some organisations noted challenges in reaching their target audiences, attributing this to stigma and the often-hidden nature of gambling-related issues.
Commenting on this, GambleAware Chief Commissioning & Strategy Officer Anna Hargrave, stated: “It is concerning that stigma may have stopped some people coming forward for help from the organisations which received funding.
“At GambleAware we have campaigned to try and end the stigma associated with gambling harm so that people feel able to come forward and get support, and we will continue working towards this goal.”
