GambleAware has committed a further £2.5 million in funding to expand its Gambling Education Hubs network across England and Wales. 

The funding commitment follows the success of the Scottish Gambling Education Hub Service, operated by Edinburgh youth work organisation Fast Forward.

Advancing its network, GambleAware has issued two new tenders for the design and delivery of hubs in England and Wales educating youth on the risks and harms of gambling.

The hubs will be established to deliver problem-gambling prevention training to youth sector workers including work, family and formal education services.

“As a result of the training, youth practitioners, teachers and youth organisations should have an increased awareness and understanding of the risks related to gambling and the impact of gambling harms, as well as what services are available to young people.” – GambleAware stated.

Launching its tender, GambleAware stated that bidding parties would have to demonstrate the involvement of ‘lived experience of gambling harms’ in the development of training content.

Furthermore, bidding parties would be evaluated on the diversity and inclusion policies of their programmes, to ensure the widest access and broadest coverage of educational training for youth workers.

Under the new leadership of Chief Executive Zoë Osmond, GambleAware has moved to expand its training and academic resources to help strengthen the problem gambling treatment support network.

New RET commitments saw GambleAware pledge £4 million in funding to develop the UK’s dedicated academic unit researching problem gambling harms and social impacts.