YGAM, GAMSTOP and RecoverMe team up to launch university tour
Anti-problem gambling trio join forces to raise awareness and promote support services to students
The Young Gamers and Gamblers Education Trust (YGAM), national online self-exclusion scheme, GAMSTOP, and mobile gambling addiction support app, RecoverMe, have announced they will soon be embarking on The Gambling Support University Tour. The new initiative will see the three organisations collaborate to visit university campuses throughout the UK in order to raise awareness of the issues that problem gambling can cause and promote the numerous support services that are available to students. The tour comes on the back of a new survey of 2,000 students published by YGAM and GAMSTOP which revealed 80% had gambled, with 41% admitting gambling had negatively impacted their university experience. Additionally, one in five confessed to using their student loan to gamble. In light of these findings, YGAM will also provide free harm prevention training to university staff, student union officers and safeguarding leads in order to equip them with the proper knowledge and skills to recognise the warning signs of gambling-related harms and signpost students who may be struggling. Speaking ahead of the tour, Jimmy Parkin, education manager: university and student engagement at YGAM, explained: “Students are a key group for us, and the recent survey findings reiterate the importance of educating our young adults on the risks and harms associated with gambling.” Katie Reynolds-Jones, head of marketing and communications at GAMSTOP, added: “It is important that we understand students and ensure we are reaching them effectively. [They] need to be aware of the free tools and support available to them and we’re delighted to be taking part in this important initiative.” Dr Adil Nayeem, co-founder of RecoverMe, also revealed how much the group were looking forward to the tour: “We’re excited to visit campuses throughout the UK to speak to students and engage with staff. By collaborating with these great organisations, we can support students and help reduce gambling-related harm.” The tour gets underway this month with visits to Birmingham, Exeter and Plymouth, where the group will have a visible presence on campus to distribute information leaflets and engage with students.