The Young Gamers & Gamblers Education Trust (YGAM) will receive support from Merkur Group UK for the final stage of its’ gambling harm prevention project.
Targeting young people under the age of 25, YGAM’s ‘Mindful Resilience Programme’ provides healthcare workers with more training opportunities to educate about responsible gambling.
Sascha Blodau, General Manager of Merkur UK, said: “We are delighted to be able to play a small part in helping to fund an initiative that directs resources into helping to address such an important part of the safer gambling narrative.”
Merkur is well-positioned to support YGAM with a knowledgeable insight, as the company has its own initiative for promoting safer gambling.
“Our 360 programme, which we launched in September 2020, is dedicated to ensuring that all of our 2,500 UK staff understand what we mean by safer gambling and equipping our consumer-facing colleagues with the information and practical skills required to turn a philosophy into a deliverable,” Blodau added.
Having been labelled as “pioneering” by Dr Rosena Alin-Khan, UK’s Shadow Minister for Mental Health, designed by health professionals and informed with the help of people’s personal experiences, the Mindful Resilience Programme is aiming to achieve a wide roll-out.
Ian Shanahan, YGAM’s Director Of Business Development and Fundraising, stated: “We’re delighted to receive this fantastic support and commitment from Merkur for the Mindful Resilience Programme.
“It is a crucially important programme in our portfolio and one that is attracting interest from the health sector. This support will help us continue to grow the initiative to increase its reach, profile and impact.”
Expanding on the partnership between YGAM and Merkur, Blodau called it “strong” as she went on to highlight the prioritising of safe gambling by both organisations.
She concluded: “We have a strong working relationship with YGAM not least through the City and Guilds assured training of our 250 venue managers which they delivered.
“As a business, we feel strongly that Safer Gambling goes beyond just the connection that we have with our customers. Our view is that it should be a commitment that gambling entertainment businesses have with society at large.
“This training connects with the hearts and minds of health professionals, who have a powerful role to play in protecting young people and the vulnerable. We are delighted to play a small part in helping deliver this pilot programme.”
