Lewes FC Signs Up To Gambling Education Programme

Lewes FC is the first club to sign up to Gambling with Lives' "pioneering" education programme, with the aim of warning young people about the dangers of gambling addiction.

Gambling with Lives was set up by families bereaved by gambling-related suicide. 

As part of the programme, Lewis Carey, goalkeeper for Lewes FC has offered to share his own experiences with gambling addiction.

He became addicted to gambling when he was 18-years-old and had just signed his first professional football contract.

On Lewes FC's website, he said:

“As a footballer in recovery from a gambling addiction, I’m excited to be involved in this partnership. With my own experiences of how harmful gambling can be, I feel it is vital that this excellent programme reaches as many young people as possible in the club’s community.

“As a youngster, no-one warned me about the harm gambling can cause. If someone I felt I could relate to had done so, it would have made a big difference to my life and that’s where this programme comes in. Personally, I can’t wait to get this partnership moving forward and start helping people”

Lewes FC has since refused to accept any sponsorship money from gambling promoters and has instead put the logo of Gambling with Lives on the t-shirts of their men's first team.

Club Director John Peel said:

“From the very outset of our partnership with Gambling with Lives, we wanted to go beyond shirt sponsorship and create something bigger and longer term together. This educational programme achieves that and then some, it’s a nationwide step towards understanding gambling-related harm in an area that has often had to rely upon gambling industry funded programmes.

“We are delighted that Lewis Carey will lead on the programme delivery. As a footballer and someone who has suffered gambling-related harm, his testimony will be both impactful and insightful.”

The new education programme set up by the charity will be taking its message to Lewes FC's youth players and the local community, before rolling out their message throughout schools and colleges to 11-16 year-olds.

According to the charity, there are between 250 and 650 gambling-related suicides each year, with gambling having the highest rate of suicide of any addiction. They say up to 1.4million adults are currently addicted to gambling in the UK with at least 55,000 children.

Created by experts on gambling harm, academics, teachers, award-winning filmmakers and people with lived experience of gambling harm, the programme aims to influence the way gambling awareness education is delivered to young people and address the lack of information and help currently available – something that leads to lives being lost each year.

It also focuses on how addictive products work and the methods and impact of industry marketing, which sets it apart from programmes delivered by industry-funded charities.

James Grimes, Head of Education at Gambling with Lives, said:

“Lewes FC has already done some fantastic work in raising awareness of gambling harms and I’m really pleased that they are now working with us in prevention.

“Football is so often the hook that draws young people into gambling, so we believe it will be especially effective to deliver this programme at club level.

“By raising awareness of the harm that gambling can cause from an early age, as opposed to just waiting for the harm to occur, we’re confident we can help protect many young people.”

Club Director John Peel said:

“From the very outset of our partnership with Gambling with Lives, we wanted to go beyond shirt sponsorship and create something bigger and longer term together. This educational programme achieves that and then some, it’s a nationwide step towards understanding gambling-related harm in an area that has often had to rely upon gambling industry funded programmes.

“We are delighted that Lewis Carey will lead on the programme delivery. As a footballer and someone who has suffered gambling-related harm, his testimony will be both impactful and insightful.”

The government are currently reviewing the the 2005 Gambling Act and considering the possibility of banning gambling sponsorship on team shirts.

Information about the new Gambling with Lives education project was provided by lewesfc.com.