Ygam awarded Government funding under prevention strand of new statutory levy

The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) in the Department of Health and Social Care has confirmed that Ygam will receive £3m from the VCSE Gambling Harms Prevention and Resilience Fund covering the two-year period from 2026 to 2028.  

It will play a significant role in enabling Ygam to deliver its award-winning programmes, focused on education, early intervention and harm prevention, to safeguard children and young people aged from gambling harms across England. 

The funding has been allocated to specifically support Ygam’s delivery across the South West, South East, Greater London, East Midlands, North West and East of England, alongside national activity where a local or regional approach is not required. Importantly, Ygam’s programmes will continue to operate across all regions of England.

Over the past decade, Ygam has built a depth of experience and expertise working alongside schools, families and communities, establishing itself as the leading expert voice and defining best practice in preventative education. 

Through comprehensive, CPD certified training and an extensive library of resources, Ygam empowers trusted adults in positions of influence or care, such as teachers, parents and youth workers, with the knowledge, tools and confidence to take meaningful action to support and safeguard children and young people. 

Since 2014, Ygam has trained over 39,000 delegates and reached an estimated 6,5m children and young people across the UK. 

Emily Tofield, Chief Executive of Ygam, said: 

“Our evidence-led programmes, which are grounded in a public health approach and informed by lived experience, have already reached and safeguarded millions of children and young people across the UK.  This funding will enable us to continue to build on our deep and proven track record of delivering measurable impact in the gambling harms prevention field, supported by independent evaluation.

 

Education will always have a central role to play in effective prevention strategies, and this funding will contribute to ensuring the next generation is equipped with the knowledge, skills and understanding to be resilient to the potential risks and harms of gambling. We look forward to working alongside OHID, the Government and other stakeholders committed to our shared goals.” 

 

This funding is part of the first tranche to be distributed under the new statutory levy introduced by the Government, which applies to all licensed gambling operators in Great Britain. The levy has raised £120 million in its first year, which will be allocated across research, prevention and treatment to address gambling-related harms. 

The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) has been appointed as the commissioning body for prevention, with 30% of the levy funding allocated to this strand.