Public Health Wales (PHW) has introduced a new funding initiative aimed at mitigating gambling-related harms throughout Wales. This initiative, the Gambling Harms Voluntary Sector Grant Fund, is set to allocate up to £700,000 ($931,084) each year over a span of two years, providing grants of up to £75,000 to individual organizations annually.
Unveiled on July 26, the funding program will accept applications starting from August 31, with a closing date of October 19, 2026. The initiative is designed to benefit voluntary, community, and social enterprise organizations operating in Wales, with the Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA) tasked with its administration.
PHW has specified its focus on particular public campaigns that will receive funding, particularly those aiming to ‘de-normalize’ harmful gambling behaviors and to implement prevention strategies targeting higher-risk groups. Community outreach efforts and support services for individuals affected by gambling, as well as innovative harm prevention initiatives, are among the eligible activities for funding. PHW emphasizes the appeal for groups that engage with higher-risk populations, which include individuals facing financial difficulties, those involved with the criminal justice system, and others impacted by another person's gambling behavior.
The organization stresses the need for projects that will create lasting preventive change by enhancing awareness, incorporating lived experiences, or providing solid evidence of effective interventions. Catherine Miller, assistant director of grants and income at WCVA, expressed the organization’s ambition for the fund, stating, “We want the money to reach a wide range of voluntary sector organizations across the country and encourage groups working with at-risk populations to apply.”
This initiative aims to prioritize support for organizations that work directly with those most affected by gambling, thereby closing gaps in early intervention and proactive prevention. Helen Erswell, consultant in public health for the Gambling-Related Harms Programme at PHW, noted, “This programme will support organisations closest to those most affected. It will deliver prevention and early intervention, focusing on addressing inequalities and reaching those most at risk of harm.”
The fund is accessible to registered charities, community interest companies, voluntary groups, and social enterprises, as long as their activities take place within Wales. Earlier this year, the UK government announced its own two-year initiative, earmarking £25.4 million for gambling harm prevention. This funding will be sourced from the statutory levy imposed on gambling operators beginning in April of the previous year.
