Public Health Wales (PHW) has kicked off a two-year funding initiative to support community efforts aimed at reducing gambling-related harm throughout Wales. The new Gambling Harms Voluntary Sector Grant Fund will provide an annual budget of up to £700,000 ($931,084), with organizations eligible to apply for grants of up to £75,000 each year.
Launched on July 26, this funding program will begin accepting applications from August 31 and will remain open until October 19, 2026.
The initiative specifically targets voluntary, community, and social enterprise organizations based in Wales, with the Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA) responsible for managing the fund.
PHW plans to allocate funds to specific campaigns, especially those aimed at the 'de-normalisation' of gambling behaviors deemed harmful, and initiatives designed to prevent gambling issues among higher-risk groups. Eligible projects include community outreach and support services for individuals affected by someone else's gambling and innovative strategies for mitigating gambling harm. Targeted populations include individuals facing financial difficulties, those entangled with the criminal justice system, and others impacted by another person's gambling habits.
The organization emphasizes the need for projects that produce sustainable preventive outcomes through heightened awareness, the inclusion of lived experiences, or by providing strong empirical evidence of effective strategies.
Catherine Miller, assistant director of grants & income at WCVA, expressed the organization’s aspirations for the funding, saying, "We want the money to reach a wide range of voluntary sector organisations across the country and encourage groups working with at-risk populations to apply."
The program aims to prioritize organizations working directly with communities most impacted by gambling, addressing gaps in early intervention and prevention. Helen Erswell, a consultant in public health for the Gambling-Related Harms Programme at PHW, stated, "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."
Eligible recipients include registered charities, community interest companies, voluntary groups, and social enterprises, so long as their activities take place within Wales.
Earlier this year, the UK government announced its own two-year funding program, allocating £25.4 million for gambling harm prevention, sourced from a statutory levy imposed on gambling operators starting in April of last year.
