Beacon Counselling Trust’s family worker Nicola has shared her experiences as an affected other of gambling harms, for a national public campaign to help tackle stigma around the issue.
Nicola worked with online and digital publisher LadBible to produce a series of videos talking first-hand about the support available for family members and to help give a better understanding of the difficulties and challenges people affected by gambling harms are living through.
The videos, part of a wider stigma campaign in collaboration with GambleAware were shared across LadBible’s social media platforms. To date the GambleAware stigma campaign has generated more than 670,000 hits across broadcast, print and online.
Nicola said: “This was an important conversation and campaign to be part of. Working with our families and understanding some of the challenges people have when it comes to conversations around gambling harms – I wanted to share with others how accessing support has helped me. But also, for anyone feeling isolated, unsure what to do, that there are safe spaces, people with skills and compassion there to help and it’s confidential, free and non-judgmental. As a team at BCT we’re committed and all working hard to lift the stigma that exists around harmful gambling.”
As a North West provider within the National Gambling Support Network, Beacon Counselling Trust provides both counselling sessions and practical and holistic support for ‘affected others.’
Through the family aftercare programme service users can access practical help and emotional support, to help lessen the impacts of gambling harms and help to regain control of their lives. Family members can also access our weekly group support, hosted by those with lived experience and there to help people to improve their overall wellbeing and move forward with their lives in a positive way.