Public Health Wales launches £1.4 million gambling harms prevention grants programme
Gambling-related harms can have a devastating impact on individuals, families and communities across Wales, affecting health, relationships, finances and wellbeing. Preventing these harms and supporting people earlier, in the communities where they live, is essential to building a sustainable health and care system for the future. That is why Public Health Wales (PHW) is supporting £1.4 million in community-led action across Wales.
In partnership with the Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA), PHW yesterday launched the Gambling Harms Voluntary Sector Grant Fund, a two-year programme that will support voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations to deliver gambling harm prevention activity across Wales. The Fund is the first step in Public Health Wales’s wider programme to prevent gambling-related harms.
The Gambling Harms Voluntary Sector Grant Fund will provide up to £700,000 per year over a two-year period, with organisations able to apply for up to £75,000 annually.
It is open to registered charities, community interest companies, voluntary groups and social enterprises. All funded activity must be delivered in Wales.
Public Health Wales is particularly keen to hear from organisations working with communities most at risk, including people experiencing financial hardship, those in contact with the criminal justice system and those affected by another person’s gambling.
Eligible activities include but are not limited to:
- Public awareness and de-normalisation of harmful gambling behaviours
- Targeted prevention for higher-risk populations
- Community outreach and social action
- Support for those affected by others’ gambling
- New and innovative approaches to prevention
All activities will have an impact on the long-term prevention of gambling harms, whether through raising awareness, incorporating lived experience or even developing evidence of what effective intervention looks like.
WCVA will administer the programme, ensuring a high-quality, accessible and fully bilingual process for applicants.
Applications will open on 31 August 2026 and close on 19 October 2026. A joint PHW and WCVA information webinar will be held on 12 August. For more details, visit our webinar registration page.
The fund is open to organisations of all sizes, local or national. If your organisation can make a difference for people in Wales, PHW and WCVA want to hear from you.
Helen Erswell, Consultant in Public Health for the Gambling-Related Harms Programme, Public Health Wales, yesterday said:
“This programme will support organisations closest to those most affected. It will deliver prevention and early intervention, focussing on addressing inequalities and reaching those most at risk of harm. It’s a crucial moment for tackling gambling-related harm in Wales, and we encourage any organisation passionate about making a difference to apply.”
Catherine Miller, Assistant Director of Grants & Income at WCVA, yesterday said:
“We know that some of the most effective prevention work happens directly in communities and we want to support that as much as possible. That’s why we’re keen for this fund to reach a wide range of voluntary sector organisations across the country. If you’re working with people at risk of gambling-related harm, we’d urge you to find out more and consider applying.”
