Gambling can be an enjoyable past time for many people but it can also cause a great deal of harm. There is help available if you or a loved one are experiencing issues yourself or if you have been affected by someone else’s gambling.
Beacon Counselling Trust (BCT)
Treatment offer:
- Brief interventions – awareness raising and short, opportunistic conversations to education, inform and raise awareness of support in relation to gambling harms
- Extended brief interventions – 30 minute conversations for individuals with low risk harms or at risk of harm, including affected others. EBIs provide practical advice and guidance, motivational interviewing to address behaviour change, and short-term, manageable and achievable goals in relation to gambling and the impact it has.
- Therapeutic interventions and treatment – 121 and couples therapy for anyone experiencing gambling harms, including those affected by someone else’s gambling.
- Aftercare and recovery support – check-ins with service-users from the treatment team 2 weeks after finishing treatment. Pathways into 121 and group peer support, including BCTs Trek Therapy aftercare programme.
- BCT specialise in suicide bereavement therapy, and this has now been extended to our gambling harms offer across the North West. BCT can offer specialist bereavement support for those who have lost someone to suicide where gambling may have played a role in the loss of that person’s life, or where the individual bereaved is at risk of gambling harms due to the trauma of their loss. This type of intervention will differ to our typical gambling harms treatment in that it will bring in grief and bereavement support interventions, alongside further bereavement support after therapeutic interventions such as bereavement peer group supports.
Contact BCT on 0151 226 0696.
The National Gambling Helpline
The National Gambling Helpline gives confidential information, advice and support for anyone aged 11years or older affected by gambling problems in England, Scotland and Wales.
Call free on 0808 8020 133
You can speak with our Advisers one-to-one over the phone or on live chat 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
GamStop
GAMSTOP lets you put controls in place to restrict your online gambling activities. You will be prevented from using gambling websites and apps run by companies licensed in Great Britain, for a period of your choosing.
NHS Northern Gambling Service
If you or someone you know is struggling with gambling-related harm, support is available through the NHS Northern Gambling Service.
The service provides free, confidential support and treatment for people affected by gambling addiction, including help with mental health, debt, relationships, and support for family members.
Specialist therapy and recovery support are available both online and in person across the North of England.
Gambling in the Asian community
Gambling in the Asian community is a hidden problem as gambling is not permitted under Islamic teaching. Breaking the Sharam is a useful video for anyone worried about their gambling in this community
Gambling Harm UK
If you’re concerned about the impact gambling may be having on your life or the lives of those around you, Gambling Harms UK offers information, education, and support focused on reducing and preventing gambling-related harm.
The charity is led by people with lived experience and supports individuals, families, and professionals across the UK, including the North West, through access to research, training, and recovery resources.
GamFam
If gambling is affecting you or someone close to you, GamFam provides free, confidential peer support for individuals and families impacted by gambling harms. Founded by people with lived experience, the charity offers online support groups, recovery programmes, and guidance in a safe and non-judgemental environment to help people move towards recovery and rebuild their wellbeing. This service is delivered across the UK, including the Northwest.
Financial Wellbeing Aid
As we know, gambling activities can seriously break the bank. If you require financial advice, support with food and keeping a healthy home there are resources to help.
Shelter Lancashire has an Advice, Support and Guidance Team specialising in housing, welfare benefits and debt advice. In partnership with Blackburn with Darwen Council (Public Health) and Lancashire Mind, Shelter delivers a service that promotes better mental health and provides face-to-face support across communities in the borough.
Follow this link to learn more about how Shelter supports financial wellbeing in Blackburn.
