New service in Newbridge for people recovering from addiction

The Gambling Awareness Trust (GAT), an independent charity established in 2018, has helped provide funds to establish a "Recovery Cafe" for recovering addicts in Newbridge. 

Newbridge FRC, a community-based support service will provide a ‘Recovery Café’ for those in recovery from addiction.

This project has been trialled on a pilot basis and has demonstrated a need to provide a safe space for those in recovery from gambling addiction to come together for peer support, training and education.

GAT is a grant-making and distribution body. It works in partnership with other organisations, agencies, and experts to help reduce and prevent gambling-related harm with a specific focus on the areas of prevention, treatment and supports, education and research. GAT is funded by contributions from the retail and online betting industry in Ireland through a social responsibility fund. 

Speaking at the launch of the new support services, Pam Bergin, Executive Director of Gambling Awareness Trust, said: “Harmful gambling can have serious consequences for people’s mental health, their employment and relationships. International research reports that for every single person identified with a ‘gambling disorder’, up to six other people are impacted significantly. Given the estimated prevalence of 55,000 problem gamblers in Ireland, this presents a significant number of individuals affected in Irish society, and highlights the need for increased services and supports in this area.

Expanded services introduced in 2023 include:

Expansion will take place at Cuan Mhuire, based on the response to the first gambling specific Residential Treatment Programme in the Athy Campus and the growing need for this treatment option, Cuan Mhuire will open a second unit in the Bruree Campus in County Limerick.

The spokesperson for Cuan Mhuire said:

‘As Ireland’s largest provider of addiction treatment services, we are at the forefront in the field of gambling addiction and related comorbidities. The support we have received from The Gambling Awareness Trust has enabled Cuan Mhuire to provide specialist residential treatment services, aftercare and family support to clients who are in dire situations because of problem gambling. These life-saving services in Athy, Co. Kildare and Bruff, Co. Limerick are vital, due to the absence of statutory support mechanisms in Ireland, but they would not be in place had it not been for the work of The Gambling Awareness Trust.”

The Gambling Awareness Trust has also enabled Cuan Mhuire to provide groundbreaking post graduate accredited training to therapists and counselors treating people with problem gambling, which is not available elsewhere in Europe. 

“Given the wide geographic spread of these services and the options available for in-person, online and phone counselling supports, peer support groups, residential treatment and general support for young people and adults directly affected by problem and their families, there is no need for anyone to suffer in silence” said Pam Bergin, Gambling Awareness Trust CEO. 

“From Cork to Donegal we want to ensure that anyone who needs help can get help easily” said Ms Bergin. “The introduction of six new services into the field this year represents significant advancement in our ability to respond to the serious and growing societal needs our research has highlighted. Additionally, the promotion of these services together through digital channels, and our awareness campaign on TG4 in conjunction with the Allianz League sporting calendar aims to open the conversation, create awareness of gambling supports and reduce the stigma associated with problem gambling”, she said. 

The Gambling Awareness Trust will continue to fund specialist training, in response to industry feedback and the findings of the Maynooth Report, ‘Gambling harms, Trends & Responses: Ireland in an International Context, published in 2021, which outlined the lack of professional qualifications in the field of gambling addiction and support for those presenting with gambling addiction. Through ongoing collaboration with Cuan Mhuire, part-funded CPD courses in Munster Technological University and UCC will again be offered to Counsellors who wish to develop their skills with contemporary knowledge in the field of gambling addiction. Places are limited. All organisations funded by Gambling Awareness Trust are required to have staff complete these courses.