News
GamCare celebrates its first year of helping problem gamblers in Greater Manchester
1 July 2010
On 1 July 2010 national charity GamCare’s counselling service in Greater Manchester marks its first anniversary.
During that time, the face to face counselling service for anyone affected by problem gambling has helped more than 60 individuals, delivering over 520 personal counselling sessions, and raised awareness of problem gambling locally.
Centre manager and counsellor Hilary Clayton says:
“I am delighted that we’ve been able to achieve so much in just one year. As well as helping over 60 problem gamblers and their families, my colleagues and I have been hard at work raising awareness of problem gambling. We’ve personally visited drug and alcohol teams, probation, supported housing, medical and community centres and have been asked to train the local mental health IAPT team. It’s exciting for us to have had such a positive reaction from the local community and I look forward to building on the relationships we’ve made so far. We need to make sure that anyone who needs our help – problem gamblers, their partners and family members, knows that GamCare counselling is available to them.
“I’m particularly pleased that we’ve helped so many people, and that some have helped us!
We held GamCare’s first client focus group in April, giving the clients an opportunity to have their say about the service so far and suggest improvements. One of our clients consented to be interviewed on film by the Wellcome Trust for an educational resource for sixth formers. We made sure that he was comfortable with this and offered ongoing support, and he’s delighted at the result.”
To access GamCare counselling, speak to our advisers on the national telephone and online helplines, who can also give expert support and advice, in complete confidence. Anyone concerned about their own gambling, or that of a friend or family member, can take that first step and give GamCare a call on 0845 6000 133 or online at www.gamcare.org.uk.
GamCare CEO Andy McLellan says
“It is thrilling to be able to celebrate the success of our Manchester office one year on and to acknowledge that it has had a real impact on people’s lives. I particularly congratulate Hilary and her fellow counsellors Steph and Jed for their hard work and dedication, and I hope that over the coming years the team will have the opportunity to change more lives for the better.”
Watch the Wellcome Trust’s interview with one problem gambler who used the service on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/wellcometrust#p/u/3/QRNC-DG90tU.
Press contact:
Eileen Kinghan, GamCare, 020 7801 7003, 07535 459 753 eileen.kinghan@gamcare.org.uk
NOTES FOR EDITORS
1. GamCare, established in 1997, is a registered charity and the leading national provider of counselling, advice and practical help for anyone experiencing or affected by problem gambling. GamCare’s immediate, confidential one-to-one support services are the telephone HelpLine and online NetLine. Also online we have a Forum and ChatRoom. We deliver counselling face to face in London, Manchester, nationally through a network of partner agencies, and online. Counselling is free to clients although donations are welcomed. We train our Partners in treating problem gambling and fund them to deliver support to anyone who needs it. For more information about GamCare and how it is funded, and for problem gambling statistics go to http://www.gamcare.org.uk/pages/faqs.html.
2. GamCare Manchester is based at St James’s House in Salford.
3. Anyone concerned about the amount of time or money that they or someone close to them is spending gambling can talk direct and in confidence to an adviser from 8am to 2am on our HelpLine 0845 6000 133 and its equivalent online, NetLine at www.gamcare.org.uk. We take a non-judgemental approach and offer one to one immediate advice and support, as well as information about how to access local counselling and other relevant services such as money advice. GamCare’s counselling is tailored to the individual’s needs. Reasons for continuing to gamble despite negative consequences can be complex and gambling sometimes can offer a means of escape from seemingly intolerable thoughts and feelings. Our counsellors employ a range of therapeutic approaches to facilitate discovery of the underlying reasons for the problem gambling behaviour, with the intention of achieving long term change.