Get involved in the Scottish Gambling Harm Lived Experience Forum

Join the Scottish Gambling Harm Lived Experience Forum to shape action to reduce gambling harms in Scotland.

Have you or anyone you know been affected by gambling or the gambling experiences of a loved one?  

The Scottish Gambling Harm Lived Experience Forum is looking for new members with lived experience to help shape action to reduce gambling harms in Scotland. The Forum is hosted by the ALLIANCE’s Scotland Reducing Gambling Harm programme, which aims to influence gambling policy and practice in Scotland. The programme’s aim is to ensure people’s voices, expertise, and rights drive policy and sit at the heart of design, delivery and improvement of support and services. 

If you’re interested, sign up here by the 14th of April *DEADLINE EXTENDED*: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/gamblingharmforum/, or share our flyer (downloadable at the bottom of this page) within your circles. 

What are gambling harms?  

Gambling-related harms are the adverse impacts from gambling on the health and wellbeing of individuals, families, communities, and society. This includes financial, employment, and relationship issues, physical and mental health problems, criminal activity, and in the most severe cases suicide as a direct result of gambling harm.   

People can experience gambling harms to different degrees, and the Scotland Reducing Gambling Harm programme are interested in speaking to anyone who feels they have experienced harm as result of their own, or a loved one’s gambling.  

The programme, aligning with ALLIANCE’s commitment to voices of lived experience, aims to put the voice of people affected by gambling harms at the heart of action to reduce those harms.  

What’s it like to be on the Forum?  

The Forum helps to identify key areas of importance in reducing gambling harms in Scotland and provide their expertise to contribute to meaningful change. Forum Members commit to attending regular, evening meetings every six weeks for one and a half hours. If you are unable to commit to the regularity of the Forum, we are able to speak to you on a more ad hoc basis as topics or opportunities you are passionate about arise.  

We aim to create a safe and welcoming environment for members to work together and gain access to new opportunities for involvement. The group’s activities include planning and attending events, responding to consultations, agreeing priorities for action, and connecting with professionals, academics and policy makers.  

Some of the benefits of joining the forum are:  

• Being able to share your thoughts and experiences to influence gambling harm policy in Scotland. 
• Having the opportunity to improve systems for other people being harmed by gambling in Scotland.  
• Getting to know and connect with other people affected by gambling harm.  
• Having the opportunity to network and connect with people who work within health and social care.  
• Developing new skills via training or attending events and conferences. 
• Gaining experience which can be included on CVs or contribute to professional development.  

Want to know more? 

You can find a detailed information document below. We also recommend having a look at the Forum’s website for information on the Forum or the Scotland Reducing Gambling Harms programme website to find out about recent activities.  

You can also have a look at our X page @ScotRGH.  

If you still have questions don’t hesitate to reach out to us via email, or direct message us on X.  

How to get involved  

If you’re interested in joining the Forum, fill out our short survey by 7 April: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/gamblingharmforum/  

Please reach out with your questions or set up an introductory meeting via email at gamblingharm@alliance-scotland.org.uk. You can also call 0141 404 0231 and ask for Georgina Charlton or reach out on X via DM @ScotRGH.  

Please feel free to share the recruitment advert below within your circles.  

We recognise that people have different comfort levels when it comes to discussing gambling harms, and individuals will have different preferences when it comes to how they’d like to be involved. We are more than happy to be flexible and to work with people in a way that feels safe and comfortable for them. 

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