The Young Gamers and Gamblers Education Trust (YGAM) has announced a continuation of its partnership with Wolverhampton Wanderers FC focused on education and safeguarding.
As a result of the agreement, the partners will cooperate to deliver the aforementioned objectives in the Premier League team’s home West Midlands region.
In collaboration with GamCare, YGAM has trained Wolves and Wolves Foundation staff members with tools and information relating to the safeguarding of young people against gambling related harm, via the Young People’s Gambling Harm Prevention Programme.
Sam Starsmore, Head of Delivery at YGAM, said: “Working with the teams at Wolves has been fantastic. Raising awareness and delivering education on the potential harms associated with gambling is something that Wolves have been fully supportive of.
“Our work together will continue so we can appropriately armour young people with the knowledge for them to make more informed choices.”
Furthermore, YGAM is also working to provide free awareness and workshops for parents and foster carers on problem gambling, leveraging its Parent HUB solution, launched in April of this year.
The collaboration between Wolves and YGAM comes as the relationship between sports organisations – particularly Premier League football clubs – and the betting industry comes under increasing scrutiny, with a ban on betting company sponsorship agreements regarded as a likely outcome of the 2005 Gambling Act review.
“YGAM have delivered training to our staff several times and the feedback is always extremely positive,” said Lisa Carter, Head of Safeguarding at Wolverhampton Wanderers. It’s such an emotive subject but part of everyday life for many children, young people and adults.”