Public Health Wales Launches £1.4m Fund to Combat Gambling Harms

Public Health Wales (PHW) has unveiled a £1.4m grant scheme designed to support voluntary, community, and social enterprise organisations delivering gambling harm prevention initiatives across the nation.

Delivered in partnership with the Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA), the Gambling Harms Voluntary Sector Grant Fund will run over a two-year period. The initiative marks the initial phase of a broader public health strategy aimed at tackling gambling-related harms at the local level.  The grant scheme is open to applications from registered charities, community interest companies (CICs), voluntary groups, and social enterprise entities. PHW is particularly encouraging applications from grassroots organisations that engage with high-risk groups, including individuals experiencing financial hardship, those within the criminal justice system, and people affected by another person's gambling behaviours.  

Emphasising the necessity of early intervention, Public Health Wales highlighted that gambling harms can exert a "devastating impact on individuals, families and communities," adding that effective prevention "is essential to building a sustainable health and care system for the future."

Welcoming the rollout, Helen Erswell, Consultant in Public Health for the Gambling-Related Harms Programme at Public Health Wales, commented:

This programme will support organisations closest to those most affected.  It will deliver prevention and early intervention, focussing on addressing inequalities and reaching those most at risk of harm.  That’s why we’re keen for this fund to reach a wide range of voluntary sector organisations across the country.  If you’re working with people at risk of gambling-related harm, we’d urge you to find out more and consider applying.

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