GamCare Receives over £1million in Tampon Tax Funding to Reach Vulnerable Women

National problem gambling support charity, GamCare, has received £1,191,818 from the Tampon Tax Fund to enable the organisation to reach more vulnerable women affected by gambling problems across England, Scotland and Wales.

Each year around 30% of callers to the National Gambling HelpLine, an advice and support line provided by GamCare, are women, and the number of calls has increased significantly over the last 5 years. Approximately half of women call about their own gambling and half about someone else’s gambling, and around 21% of clients in GamCare treatment services are female.

Funding gathered from taxes on feminine hygiene products is now made available to charities and organisations working to tackle serious issues affecting women across the UK. GamCare will benefit from this round of funding and will be able to increase awareness of gambling related harm and access to support available to women nationally.

Anna Hemmings, CEO at GamCare, says: “Women can be disproportionately negatively impacted by gambling related harms, which include financial, relationship and mental health issues.

There is also an evidence base to suggest that for women, emotional distress, experience of trauma or managing other difficult situations such as domestic abuse, sexual violence or other pressures can make them vulnerable to experiencing gambling problems themselves.

These problems can cause a sense of isolation and have far reaching impacts on their families, communities and personal lives; however they are often hidden from support services.”

GamCare will work with a nationwide network of organisations who support vulnerable women, raising awareness of how gambling is linked with a range of issues affecting women and girls and helping to better identify women in need – including those affected by domestic abuse, care leavers and victims of modern slavery.

The charity will strengthen referral pathways into support and treatment services as well as providing tailored treatment options in consultation with service users. They will also engage with academic partners to gather and interrogate data from screening and treatment services to ensure continuous improvement.

GamCare operates the National Gambling HelpLine, providing information, advice and support for anyone affected by problem gambling. Advisers are available seven days a week from 8am – Midnight on Freephone 0808 8020 133 or via web chat at www.gamcare.org.uk.

GamCare and their partner agencies also offer a range of free treatment across England, Scotland and Wales, as well as a moderated Forum and daily chatrooms so that people can speak to others experiencing similar issues and seek support.

For more information visit www.gamcare.org.uk

ENDS

Catherine Sweet, GamCare Head of Marketing and Communications
catherine.sweet@gamcare.org.uk / 020 7801 7028.

GamCare – Working to minimise gambling-related harm

• GamCare’s organisational strategy is available to download at www.gamcare.org.uk/publications, along with their latest Annual Review and Statistics.
• GamCare operates the National Gambling HelpLine on Freephone 0808 8020 133 or via web chat at www.gamcare.org.uk, providing information, advice and support for anyone affected by problem gambling. Advisers are available 8am – Midnight, seven days a week. GamCare also provides a range of free treatment (face to face, online or over the phone) for anyone affected by problem gambling across England, Scotland and Wales, funded by GambleAware.
• GamCare offers a moderated online Forum and daily chatrooms so that people can speak to others experiencing similar issues and seek support.
• GamCare’s Youth Outreach Programme operates in five areas of Great Britain at present, and will be expanding to new regions from April 2019. Information and advice for young people is provided by GamCare via a dedicated website at www.bigdeal.org.uk.
• Case Study, Linda, 57, South West England: “I think my biggest mistake was thinking I could beat my compulsion by myself.”