An ex-footballer who is campaigning for more awareness of the dangers of gambling was in Blackburn to lead a workshop.

IMO hosted 'Gambling Related Harm (GRH)' in collaboration with Red Card Gambling at the Business Development Centre, Eanam Wharf.

The event was attended by local Imams, Gamble Aware, SPARK, Red Rose Recovery, Blackburn Rovers Community Trust, Blackburn Foodbank, Training 2000, Blackburn College, Blackburn with Darwen Youth Zone and various local education settings. 
 
The discussions were led by ex-professional footballer Red Card Gambling’s CEO and founder Tony Kelly, and Senior Consultant at Red Card Gambling, Harj Gahley.

He spent three years at Stoke City and lost tens of thousands of pounds to gambling during his career. In January, he called for football clubs to be banned from advertising gambling firms on their shirts.

He has called for the UK government to enforce tougher regulations on betting advertising in the sport.

Tony and Harj drew on their experiences with gambling addiction to illustrate the profound personal and social challenges associated with gambling harms. They shared their journeys, highlighting the effects on their personal lives and the resilience required for recovery. 

The IMO charity is leading 'Sahara,' an initiative funded by Gamble Aware to deliver specialist, multilingual support for gambling-related harms. 

This project provides tailored, culturally sensitive assistance to communities in need. Building on insights from the successful pilot, 'Hal' (Gambling Solutions), IMO Charity is expanding its reach to break the stigma surrounding gambling. 

This session provided participants with unique insights and equipped them with practical tools to support those affected by gambling issues.

Both Harj and Tony highlighted the participants' strong engagement and interest in gambling-related issues, making the event particularly rewarding for them as speakers. 

Optimal Health Practitioner at the IMO Charity, Ilyas Valimulla said: “Gambling-related harm is rising at an alarming rate in the Blackburn with Darwen, we felt it was crucial to provide this workshop.

"Tony and Harj’s lived experiences brought a compelling depth to the training and we are proud to equip our community partners with the knowledge and resources to better support those at risk.”

The charity signed a new workplace charterThe charity also celebrated the signing of ‘A Workplace Charter to Reduce Gambling-Related Harms’ with Beacon Counselling Trust in the presence of Gamble Aware guests. 

This charter offers a framework for IMO Charity employers and staff to adopt best practices in health and wellbeing at work. 

IMO Charity CEO Mohammed Sidat added: “We are deeply committed to embedding policies within our organisation that reflect our values of passion and respect. 

"Just as we strive to support our service users affected by gambling-related harms, we want to extend that same level of care to our own workforce.”

If you are struggling with gambling you can contact IMO Charity’s Optimal Health Practitioner, Ilyas, at ilyas.valimulla@imocharity.org or by calling 01254 781310 / 07938 492126.