News
Thursday 8 March 2007
Nationwide gambling education for schools
The Gambling Act comes into force later this year and today (Thursday 8 March) sees the timely nationwide launch of innovative new gambling education resources for young people.
Funded by the Responsibility in Gambling Trust (RIGT), the new educational resources were developed by Tacade – a leading personal, social and health education charity based in Manchester - in collaboration with the International Gaming Research Unit (IGRU) at Nottingham Trent University.
Research carried out by the IGRU recently revealed that 3.5% of children aged between 11 and 15 years had a gambling problem and that prevention work was needed among the adolescent community.
The new free resources, which have been widely trialled, are specially designed for use both in and outside of the classroom and will be officially launched at the House of Lords today.
The two resources are:
• ‘You bet!’ Gambling education materials for young people aged 11–16 years
• ‘Just another game?’ Gambling education materials for young people aged 13–19 years
You bet! was developed for use with young people in more formal education settings, such as secondary schools. Just another game? was developed for use with young people in a variety of informal education settings, such as youth clubs and Pupil Referral Units.
John Greenway, MP and Chairman of RIGT, said: “These new resources are an important part of our long-term strategy for minimising the harm that can come from gambling. Tacade and the IGRU have produced excellent materials that can be incorporated into both the school and youth work curriculum.”
Martin Buczkiewicz, CEO of Tacade, said: “We provide practical, accessible and quality resources for professionals working with young people on a range of issues, such as alcohol, smoking, drugs and sexual health. The issue of gambling has been overlooked in both the school and youth work setting. These groundbreaking new resources will help to plug that gap.”
Professor Mark Griffiths, Director of the IGRU at Nottingham Trent University, said: “Adolescent gambling is widespread in the UK and these new materials are an important step in recognising that gambling as a social and health issue are taken more seriously by educators and the health profession. We are delighted that our expertise in youth gambling has been put to excellent use.”
Tacade and the IGRU have also been commissioned by RIGT to deliver ten regional seminars and forty ‘twilight’ sessions for teachers and youth workers over the next eighteen months.
Early intervention through preventative education delivered by professionals in both schools and informal education settings is one approach that will enable young people to acquire the knowledge and understanding and the skills to avoid some of the potential pitfalls of gambling. Both these resources will assist in ensuring that young people are equipped to deal with such situations and empower them to make informed choices.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
For more information about how you may obtain a copy of these free resources and how you can apply to attend one of the free seminars, or hold a free ‘twilight’ session in your own area, take a look at the Tacade website.
For more information please contact: Dave Rogers, Press Officer, on telephone +44 (0)115 848 8782, or via email.
Or Therese Easom, Press and Media Relations Manager, on telephone +44 (0)115 848 8774, or via email.
