YGAM - Young Gamblers Education Trust

It is likely you deliver workshops around safe sex, responsible  drinking and mental health, but do you deliver anything around the potential risks associated with problem gambling or social gaming?

The UK gambling industry has changed significantly  over the last decade. Measures introduced by the 2005 Gambling Act and advances in new technology, have impacted on the access and advertising of gambling services in the UK. With Betting Shops now in visible shop-front locations on every High Street, casinos now open 24/7 in most cities, advances in internet (remote) gambling and a massive rise in gambling advertising and sponsorship, the awareness of and opportunity to gamble is far more accessible than it has ever been. The latest data from the Gambling Commission suggests there are over 450,000 people addicted to gambling in the UK right now, with over 130,000 being under the age of 25 years.

The Young Gamblers Education Trust (YGAM) is a newly registered UK Charity with social purpose to "inform, educate and safeguard young people against problem gambling or social gaming." Working with the PSHE Association and Ofqual approved awarding body ASDAN, we have developed the UK's first accredited, gambling-related harm, license training course and resources. Our course and resources have been written for professionals and volunteers who support young people and adults up to the age of 25 years.

Introducing YGAM (PDF, 2.3 MB)

To become a licensed YGAM practitioner and gain complimentary access to our accredited resources you are invited to attend our one-day structured training course. Once you have completed this course and become licensed, you will have sign-in rights to our dedicated website so you can download all our resources and education material, allowing you to deliver gambling-related harm workshops to young people and adults in your care.

Our one-day training course will cover the following modules:

• Why do people and in particular, young people gamble?
• Background on youth gambling (under 25yrs) in the UK
• Introduction and familiarisation with the accredited YGAM gambling-related harm curriculum
• Create a lesson plan or scheme of work that you can take away and use immediately
• Practical tips on delivering the YGAM programme as part of PSHE in the curriculum
• How to measure and demonstrate the effectiveness of your local YGAM programme.

Created by teachers, youth workers, young people, gambling industry leaders and former gambling addicts; the YGAM programme ultimately has been designed to build digital resilience among young people and raise awareness of the potential mental health and financial impacts of problem gambling and social gaming. Facilitation will be provided by the YGAM Director of Education, Adrian Sladdin, a former teacher who has worked in education his entire career and YGAM Chief Executive Lee Willows, a former gambling addict who has also worked in education and youth development for over 25 years.

Workshop dates and prices - including a limited number of free and discounted places

Workshops run from 10:30am to 15:30pm at a London venue and include refreshments.

For more information, contact james@ygam.org or book online at the Young Gamblers website