GamCare

Last updated
GamCare
Company type Charity
Industry Gambling, mental health
Founded1997
Headquarters United Kingdom
Key people
Margot Daly, Chair of Trustees
Revenue9,634,800 pound sterling (2020)  OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
£20.1 million (2023) [1]
Number of employees
92 (2020)  OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Website gamcare.org.uk

GamCare is an independent UK charity founded by Paul Bellringer in 1997 to raise awareness and aid those affected by gambling harms across Britain.

Contents

Overview

GamCare is a UK provider of information, advice and support for anyone affected by gambling harms. Expert services are free of charge, confidential and non-judgemental. [2] GamCare operates the National Gambling Helpline on Freephone, live web chat, Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp. As part of the National Gambling Support Network, GamCare provides both face-to-face and online support services across England, Scotland and Wales. [3]

GamCare also provides training and materials to the gambling industry to improve social responsibility and customer protection. Training programs provide attenders with vital insight on how to recognise the signs of gambling harm and advice on how to interact with customers to achieve a positive outcome. [4]

The Safer Gambling Standard

The Safer Gambling Standard is the social responsibility quality standard for licensed gambling operators. The Standard is a set of best practice standards developed out of a combination of academic evidence in Safer Gambling practices, GamCare service user input, and GamCare’s knowledge and experience from more than 25 years of work with those affected by gambling harms, and the gambling industry itself. [5]

GamCare Youth Services

GamCare hosts Youth Outreach Programs, offering interactive workshops for young people, as well as training for the professionals that support them (such as teachers and youth workers). [6]

GamCare and Samaritans together developed a suite of training materials for gambling businesses. The materials raise awareness of the risk of gambling-related suicide and to give gambling staff the skills and confidence to support customers who may be at risk. [7]

See also

Related Research Articles

Samaritans is a registered charity aimed at providing emotional support to anyone in emotional distress, struggling to cope or at risk of suicide throughout the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, often through its telephone helpline. Its name derives from the biblical Parable of the Good Samaritan although the organisation itself is not religious.

The Cystic Fibrosis Trust is a UK-based national charity founded in 1964, dealing with all aspects of cystic fibrosis (CF). It funds research to treat and cure CF and aims to ensure appropriate clinical care and support for people with cystic fibrosis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Brain Tumour Charity</span> British charity founded in 1996

The Brain Tumour Charity is a UK-based, Charity Commission registered, charity dedicated to funding research, raising awareness of brain tumours, reducing diagnosis times and providing support and information for people with brain tumours, their families and friends.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Problem gambling</span> Repetitive gambling despite demonstrable harm and adverse consequences

Problem gambling or ludomania is repetitive gambling behavior despite harm and negative consequences. Problem gambling may be diagnosed as a mental disorder according to DSM-5 if certain diagnostic criteria are met. Pathological gambling is a common disorder associated with social and family costs.

Telephone counseling refers to any type of psychological service performed over the telephone. Telephone counseling ranges from individual, couple or group psychotherapy with a professional therapist to psychological first aid provided by para-professional counselors. In-person therapists often advise clients to make use of telephone crisis counseling to provide the client with an avenue to obtain support outside of therapy if they cannot be reached in an emergency or at the conclusion of a therapeutic relationship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SSAFA</span> Charity of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity, the Soldiers', Sailors', and Airmen's Families Association, is a UK charity that provides lifelong support to serving men and women and veterans from the British Armed Forces and their families or dependents. Anyone who is currently serving or has ever served in the Royal Navy, British Army or Royal Air Force and their families, both regulars and reserves, is eligible for their help.

Change Grow Live (CGL) is a voluntary sector organisation specialising in substance misuse and criminal justice intervention projects in England and Wales. All of its funding is statutory-based. As of 2012 the organisation employed over 1,800 workers and was supported by over 250 volunteers. CGL was formerly named Crime Reduction Initiatives (CRI), but changed its name in 2016.

The Prison Advice and Care Trust (Pact) is an independent UK charity that provides practical services for prisoners and prisoners' families. First established as the Catholic Prisoners Aid Society in 1898, Pact works at several prisons across England and Wales.

Autism Anglia is an organisation and registered charity that provides services to those affected by autism in Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk and Cambridge. It began life in 1973 when Anthony Boobier discovered there were no specialist autism services for his newly diagnosed son. Its first establishment opened in 1977 and it opened adult services in 1983 when the original children grew up and it was realised that there was no specialised adult autism provision for them. In 2008, The Essex Autistic Society took over the Norfolk Autistic Community Housing Association and the Norfolk Autistic Society and changed the name of the new charity to Autism Anglia to better reflect the enlarged area of operation. In 2013 Autism Anglia took over the Cambridge-based charity East Anglian Autistic Support Trust (EAST).

The Gender Trust was a United Kingdom charitable organisation promoting public education about transgender and gender identity issues and providing information to those affected. It is based in Horsham and Henfield, West Sussex. Gender Trust spokesmen comment on occasion to the news about transsexualism. For example, when the 2004 Big Brother winner was a transsexual, a GenderTrust spokesman said of the program: "It's raised the general public's awareness that transsexuals are just ordinary people." It has criticised employers for rarely thinking about the need for sex change or of the difficulty of sex change operations on their employees.

The Macular Society is a UK charity that offers support to anyone affected by central vision loss.

The National Council on Problem Gambling is an American nonprofit organization. Founded in 1972 by Joseph A. Dunne and Robert Custer, among others, it is the oldest organization on gambling issues in the United States. The Council established two principles:

Responsible Gambling, also known as Safer Gambling, is a set of social responsibility initiatives held by the gambling industry – including government regulators, operators, and vendors – to ensure the integrity of their operations and to promote awareness of the harms associated with gambling, such as gambling addiction.

The Samaritans Hong Kong operates a free 24-hour multilingual suicide prevention hotline in Hong Kong. [It] is a non-religious charity that provides confidential emotional support to all people, irrespective of race, creed, age or status, who are despairing or suicidal." The organisation is registered as a charity in Hong Kong, and governed by its unpaid volunteers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samaritans of Singapore</span> Suicide prevention centre

Samaritans of Singapore (SOS) is a non denominational, non-profit suicide prevention centre. Since its establishment in 1969, SOS has developed into a professionally run and managed organisation. It adopts a holistic approach to suicide, focussing on suicide prevention, intervention and postvention.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BAPS Charities</span> International charitable organization

BAPS Charities is an international, religious, charitable organization that originates from the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) with a focus on serving society. This focus on service to society is stated in the organization's vision, that "every individual deserves the right to a peaceful, dignified, and healthy way of life. And by improving the quality of life of the individual, we are bettering families, communities, our world, and our future." BAPS Charities carries out this vision through a range of programs addressing health, education, the environment, and natural disaster recovery. The organization's worldwide activities are funded through donations and are led by a community of over 55,000 volunteers who are mostly members of BAPS. The volunteers work with local communities and other charities and the organization's activities are mainly based out of their mandirs.

The Responsible Gambling Fund (RGF) advises the Government of New South Wales (NSW) in Australia on the allocation of funds for initiatives and programs that support responsible gambling and reduce gambling addiction in the state.

Ovacome is a charitable incorporated organisation based in the UK which exists to support anyone affected by ovarian cancer. The charity's main office is located in London, with a regional hub in Dudley.

Mental health in the Republic of Ireland is the subject of state and community sector intervention in Ireland. The Irish state devolves responsibility for mental health to the Department of Health. Community groups and charities also provide support in the prevention and management of mental illness as well as suicide prevention.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suicide in Hong Kong</span>

In 2017, the suicide rate in Hong Kong was around 12 deaths per 100,000 people and ranked 32 in the world standing, which was its lowest rate in four years. The suicide rate for males was nearly double that for females, as it was 16.2 deaths per 100,000 males, and 8.8 deaths per 100,000 females. Although it has decreased slightly compared to previous years, for those aged 19 or younger it has risen by 50%. The Samaritans Hong Kong charity has described the issues as worthy of attention.

References

  1. "Gamcare". Charity Commission for England and Wales . Retrieved 2023-01-28.
  2. Hall, Rachel (2023-04-09). "UK cost of living crisis leading people to gambling, says charity". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2023-05-08.
  3. "GamCare - Gambling Problem Help - Poker Addiction Therapy". pokerstars.com. Retrieved 2022-09-19.
  4. "Outreach and Training". GamCare. Retrieved 2022-09-19.
  5. "Fears for problem gamblers in lockdown". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2022-12-22.
  6. Tunnicliffe, Sean (2019-09-25). "Free Support for Anyone Affected by Gambling Problems Across Leeds". Forum Central. Archived from the original on 2022-12-22. Retrieved 2022-12-22.
  7. "Gambling Charity and Samaritans Launch Bespoke Suicide Awareness and Prevention Training". GamCare. Retrieved 2021-05-06.