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Independent Trustee: Responsibility In Gambling Trust
20th October, 2004.
Responsibility in Gambling Trust (RIGT)
The Government has now published the Gambling Bill and the issue of social responsibility and problem gambling will, undoubtedly, feature strongly throughout. In view of this, I wanted to take this opportunity to brief you on the progress the Trust has made.
The RIGT's aim is to make it less likely that people will become problem gamblers and more likely that those who do will be able to seek and to secure effective help. The Trust's strategy in support of this aim has three main components, research, education and advice, and treatment. I am delighted to announce that we have raised in excess of £4m from the Gambling Industry since the Trust began in 2002 and with this income we have been able to move forward decisively on two fronts and plan to start on the third, education, shortly.
Following an independent report commissioned by the Trust, our priorities are to provide funds:
• To ensure that there is an effective and efficient helpline available and manned 24 hours a day 7 days a week providing information and front-line counselling to problem gamblers and to those affected by problem gambling.
• To ensure that there should be face-to-face counselling available to problem gamblers across the whole country.
• To make available on-line counselling to those who prefer this to face to face counselling.
We are striving to create a well run, well-managed, comprehensive and integrated information advice and counselling system across the whole country. This will put in place the basic national infrastructure to support problem gamblers and their families, complementing the work of Gamblers' Anonymous and GamAnon. Working closely with GamCare, we believe this can be achieved by next Summer.
The Trust is also due to receive in the next couple of weeks an exhaustive report reviewing the worldwide research on problem gambling and proposing future priorities for research. It will set out clearly and comprehensively the current state of knowledge of the issues and provide us with an important road map for the future. At present too little is known about what actually works, let alone what works best. It is of vital importance that we use the window of opportunity of the next two or three years' before the reform of the gambling laws affect the public, to acquire a better understanding of problem gambling.
In November, Robin Burgess will be joining the Trust as the new full time Chief Executive. Robin brings to the Trust an extensive practical knowledge and experience of dealing with other forms of addictive behaviour. He will concentrate on the development of the Trust's education strategy.
In May the Trust also appointed two more Trustees, Mr David Grayson and Professor Nicholas Tarrier and the Trust now has a majority of independent Trustees.
I hope this summary of the Trust's progress to date is helpful. However, should you require more information then please do not hesitate to contact me or visit our website www.rigt.org.uk .
Sir David Durie: Chairman RIGT
Responsibility in Gambling Trust (RIGT)
The Government has now published the Gambling Bill and the issue of social responsibility and problem gambling will, undoubtedly, feature strongly throughout. In view of this, I wanted to take this opportunity to brief you on the progress the Trust has made.
The RIGT's aim is to make it less likely that people will become problem gamblers and more likely that those who do will be able to seek and to secure effective help. The Trust's strategy in support of this aim has three main components, research, education and advice, and treatment. I am delighted to announce that we have raised in excess of £4m from the Gambling Industry since the Trust began in 2002 and with this income we have been able to move forward decisively on two fronts and plan to start on the third, education, shortly.
Following an independent report commissioned by the Trust, our priorities are to provide funds:
• To ensure that there is an effective and efficient helpline available and manned 24 hours a day 7 days a week providing information and front-line counselling to problem gamblers and to those affected by problem gambling.
• To ensure that there should be face-to-face counselling available to problem gamblers across the whole country.
• To make available on-line counselling to those who prefer this to face to face counselling.
We are striving to create a well run, well-managed, comprehensive and integrated information advice and counselling system across the whole country. This will put in place the basic national infrastructure to support problem gamblers and their families, complementing the work of Gamblers' Anonymous and GamAnon. Working closely with GamCare, we believe this can be achieved by next Summer.
The Trust is also due to receive in the next couple of weeks an exhaustive report reviewing the worldwide research on problem gambling and proposing future priorities for research. It will set out clearly and comprehensively the current state of knowledge of the issues and provide us with an important road map for the future. At present too little is known about what actually works, let alone what works best. It is of vital importance that we use the window of opportunity of the next two or three years' before the reform of the gambling laws affect the public, to acquire a better understanding of problem gambling.
In November, Robin Burgess will be joining the Trust as the new full time Chief Executive. Robin brings to the Trust an extensive practical knowledge and experience of dealing with other forms of addictive behaviour. He will concentrate on the development of the Trust's education strategy.
In May the Trust also appointed two more Trustees, Mr David Grayson and Professor Nicholas Tarrier and the Trust now has a majority of independent Trustees.
I hope this summary of the Trust's progress to date is helpful. However, should you require more information then please do not hesitate to contact me or visit our website www.rigt.org.uk .
Sir David Durie: Chairman RIGT