Cumberland Council is sharing the story of a resident whose life spiralled out of control due to a gambling addiction.
It is hoped the man’s testimony will encourage others to seek support during Safer Gambling Week (13-19 November).
An animated video sharing the resident’s story will be launched at an event hosted by Rosehill on Monday 13 November, from 10am until 2pm at the United Reformed Church in Whitehaven.
The weekly Welcome Hub event will provide dedicated gambling support to residents, during the awareness week, who need help with gambling related harms. Anyone who needs help is encouraged to attend.
Representatives from GamCare, Cumbria Addictions: Advice and Solutions (CADAS), Credit Union, and Citizen’s Advice will be there to offer advice and support.
Cumberland Council’s Social Prescribing Team will also be on hand to signpost to services.
The video has been commissioned by Cumberland Council and Sellafield Ltd.
Cumberland Council has trained 20 employees to support colleagues and service users to identify gambling related harms and to signpost to specialist services.
In April 2023, the National Institute of Economic and Social Research estimated that the annual cost of problem gambling in the UK is £1.4 billion. For the Cumberland area, this means an estimated annual cost of around £4.2 million.
Councillor Lisa Brown, Portfolio Holder for Governance and Thriving Communities, said: “Gambling-related harms can negatively impact your life and those around you.
"It is not always easy to recognise that you have a problem.
"The animated video features the story of a resident who ended up in prison due to his gambling addiction.
“He started gambling at a very young age, and his life spiralled out of control.
“There are few addictions where you can lose £100 every twenty seconds, and it’s imperative that people seek help to break free from this very serious and debilitating issue.
“Gambling can ruin the lives of not only those experiencing gambling related harms, but their families and friends too.
“We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to the resident for his courage and selflessness in sharing his story in the hope of helping others.”
Jenny Kelly, Diversity and Inclusion Advisor at Sellafield Ltd, said: “We are glad to have been involved with creating this video.
“We hope that it will raise awareness of the problems of harmful gambling and show that help and support is available for anyone affected.”
To view the video, go to https://youtu.be/j8Ji6fsbNhc
For help with a gambling addiction in Cumbria, call Beacon Counselling Trust on 0151 226 0696, email support@beaconcounsellingtrust.co.uk, or visit www.beaconcounsellingtrust.co.uk.