News from Bolton at Home
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Tackling gambling-related harms in the workplace and community
Bolton at Home has signed-up to a newly launched national scheme to help people overcome harmful gambling.
Representatives from Bolton at Home supported the launch of ‘A charter to reduce gambling related harms in the workplace’ in Preston (Friday 19 July) led by Unite the Union, Lancashire Care NHS Foundation and the Beacon Counselling Trust, and backed by the Trades Union Congress (TUC).
Signing the charter means we'll make a commitment for our policies, support and training to address gambling-related harms in the workplace. We will also go beyond the employer-employee scope of the charter and roll out support for the wider community too.
As part of the ‘Bet you can help’ programme; managers, customer-facing staff and trade union officials will receive training from the Beacon Counselling Trust to better identify and know how to help someone whose gambling has become problematic.
Posters in our offices and UCAN centres will promote a public offer of free and confidential one-to-one support from the Beacon Counselling Trust. The posters will include tear-off slips for people to discreetly takeaway information if they would like to seek help for problematic gambling, and we will provide rooms for meetings to take place in private.
Jon Lord, our Chief Executive, said “Harmful gambling can have a devastating impact on individuals, families and society. It’s a growing national issue, especially with easier access to gamble online, but we have an opportunity for employers and trade unions to become more actively involved in helping to prevent harm and provide support for those affected. We’re proud to be among the first organisations in the country to sign-up to this charter. It means we’ll tackle the stigma around harmful gambling and treat it as a significant health and wellbeing issue.”
Among the other companies signing-up to the charter following its launch were housing organisations, local authorities, and NHS providers, as well as businesses like Toyota, Bentley and Royal Mail.
Pictured left to right are: Jon Lord, Chief Executive, Bolton at Home; Keith Lewis, Unite Construction ULF National Project Manager; Andy Howcroft, Unite Craft Convenor, Bolton at Home.
Photograph by Chris Gleave.
You can follow the link below for more information about the charter.