Ten organisations across Great Britain have been awarded a slice of £2m courtesy of a GambleAware Aftercare Funding Programme.
The initiative, which was first detailed in June 2022, intends to aid organisations that work alongside those with longer-term recovery from gambling harm. The backing is also designed to provide additional support they might need so they can live happy and healthy lives.
Those chosen were said to come as a result of a “rigorous selection process” that involved a panel of experts, including two members with lived experience.
The ten selected were said to have demonstrated how they would work towards helping those that have sustained recoveries from gambling harm.
This, GambleAware noted, included improving mental health and wellbeing, raising practical skills, such as financial and employability skills, and heightening confidence and self-belief in abilities.
The full list of organisations that have been awarded funding from the programme are Acta Community Theatre, Addiction Recovery Agency, Recovery4all, Beacon Counselling Trust, Citizens Advice Brighton & Hove, Citizen Advice Wirral, Cyrenians, Epic Restart Foundation, GamCare and Reframe, Steps To Work and Veterans Aid.
Anna Hargrave, GambleAware Chief Commissioning Officer, said: “Enabling people to access treatment and support to reduce or stop their gambling is essential.
“But there is less known about how to ensure this recovery can be sustained over the long term. This is why our Aftercare Funding Programme was set up to fund projects which support recovery for people to help them rebuild their lives.
“These ten organisations were chosen to receive funding because of their innovative approaches, as well as their abilities to reach specific communities. We look forward to seeing how the projects develop.”
Two levels of funding were available under the AFP, which first saw up to £150,000 obtainable for smaller or newer organisations, or those looking to test an approach.
Furthermore, up to £350,000 was available for larger organisations that were already established and wanted to grow, or develop their work further.
Ipsos has been appointed as the evaluation and learning partner to deliver an overall impact and process evaluation of the programme, and to build capacity and capability in monitoring and evaluation by providing advice and guidance to the organisations. It will also facilitate the active sharing of learning and emerging insights across the programme.
