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A group of acting students from Walsall saw themselves on the silver screen as part of a project to raise awareness of gambling harms among young people.
GamCare and Ygam ran a competition for the younger generation to submit ideas for an awareness-raising film – which it has said will be freely available to schools and professionals.
The winning film, called The Gamble of Youth, was first shown last week at a private screening at a Birmingham cinema. It demonstrated the risks and potential harms of gambling in a way which also encouraged young people to speak out about their issues and seek help from professionals.
Nicole Barklam, Events Manager at GamCare, stated: “It’s inspiring to see young people take such an active interest in the harms that gambling can cause, and to be able to raise further awareness of the support options available, should anyone need it.
“We’re so pleased to see the level of effort that Thespian Arts have gone to in order to bring this important production to life. We’re looking forward to sharing with more young people in the UK about the harm that gambling can cause.”
The overall aim of the film was to show how young people can be impacted by gambling harms at different stages of their lives, whilst also providing hope by showing the advice and support available to them.
Young actors, aged between 10 and 15 years old, from Thespian Arts in Brownhills, Walsall, starred in the film which was professionally produced by London-based Equal Productions. The filming took place in September at Brownhills Community Association.
“This film competition initiative has been a fantastic way to engage young people in raising awareness, tapping into their creativity to ensure that the messaging resonates with their peers,” added Kyle Riding, Head of Programmes at Ygam.
“The film is a powerful educational tool, and I’m confident that this project will positively impact understanding and help prevent gambling harms.”
More than 150 young people were involved in the competition, and judges – including a panel of young people from GamCare’s Youth Advisory Board – selected from 10 entries to choose the winning film idea which was awarded to Thespian Arts.
Local gambling support providers Aquarius, NECA Gambling Services, Beacon Counselling Trust, Ara, and Breakeven were also involved in promoting the competition in their regions across England.
Gamcare has promised that hundreds of schools and organisations that help young people aged between 11 to 25 years old will receive a copy of the film.
