Champions

Our Champions

We are proud to be working alongside and with a number of organisations and groups who are committed to protecting their communities from gambling harm, and helping those experiencing harm to recover. Some of these network champions have developed their own strategies and plans for addressing gambling harm that we can learn from, whilst others are working across the network to set up tractable processes relevant to their contexts

Blackburn with Darwen Council

Blackburn with Darwen Council is a unitary authority with a statutory duty to promote the health and wellbeing of its residents. The Health and Wellbeing Board provides strategic oversight of all work addressing Gambling-Related Harms (GRH), ensuring a coordinated approach with local partners and stakeholders.

A borough-wide GRH needs assessment, developed in partnership with academic institutions, identified significantly elevated levels of harm. Local prevalence is estimated at 1.2%, three times higher than the national average (0.4%), affecting both adults and children. Residents are estimated to lose approximately £10.4 million annually to gambling, with harms disproportionately impacting deprived communities, where individuals are five times more likely to be affected.

In response, Blackburn with Darwen Council is committed to reducing GRH through a collaborative, system-wide approach. This includes participation in the Workplace Charter and the delivery of bi-monthly Gambling Harms Forum meetings, bringing together partners and stakeholders to coordinate activity, reduce risk, and implement a shared action plan across the borough, supported by OHID levy funding.

The Calico Group

Acorn Recovery Projects

helps people break free from drug, alcohol, and other addictions. Since 1997, Acorn's aim has been to create lasting recovery for people in our communities. Many of our Acorn employees have been through addiction and what it’s like to be in recovery. This helps them to understand what our customers are feeling and how to best support them.

Our services signpost people for support with gambling services.

Delphi Medical

provides medical services to help people break free from addiction – whether they are in the community or getting treatment in prison.

Delphi's qualified teams aim to provide the best help we can for both our customers and the communities they live in, so they can move away from addiction towards freedom.

Our services include HMP Manchester and Blackburn with Darwen Spark Substance misuse services. We assess clients for their needs and refer them to services in the local area. With prison teams, service users will be referred to Gambling Anonymous and have access to their in-cell phone.

Calico Enterprise

works with local schools, colleges and businesses to provide training, support and programmes to support people in our communities into work. We aim to help people in our communities into employment and support personal development. We also work with businesses to build their workforce and create employment opportunities.

Lancashire Women

Lancashire Women is developing a new pan-Lancashire project to help prevent gambling-related harm among women and families.

The project will provide trauma-informed, gender-sensitive support through existing trusted services, including mental health, money advice, healthy relationships and probation pathways. It will support women at risk of gambling harm, as well as those affected by someone else’s gambling. We aim to break down the stigma and barriers associated with the hidden harms of gambling.

This will include outreach, partner training, sensitive screening, brief interventions, support with gambling-blocking tools, and shared learning through Communities of Practice.

We are keen to work with partners across Lancashire who support women and families experiencing disadvantage, including services linked to domestic abuse, mental health, housing, substance misuse, criminal justice, money advice and community support.

We are also keen to link with organisations that would like to be involved, access training, or discuss how the project could link with their services.

Primary Care Gambling Service

(PCGS) is a free and confidential NHS service for adults over 18, who experience harms from gambling. The service also provides support with physical, social, and mental health problems.

The Primary Care Gambling Service is a national service working in partnership with all providers in the sector to provide integrated support services to anyone experiencing gambling harms. All of our services are free and confidential.”

Red Rose Recovery

Red Rose Recovery was established as a charity in 2012 and has become nationally recognised as a pioneering organisation in developing recovery systems and creating opportunities for people affected by substance misuse, addiction, mental health, domestic abuse and offending behaviours.

As a Lived Experience Recovery Organisation, our staff’s personal and relatable experience provides inspiration and hope to people who are struggling to find a way forward. We work with a wide range of partner organisations in many different settings to build accessible and inclusive pathways for personal development and recovery.