Ygam
Find out how Ygam is safeguarding young people against gaming and gambling harms, and how to earn the Scouts Sports Enthusiasts Badge.
We've joined forces with Ygam to bring awareness to the effects of youth gambling in sports and gaming.
We have co-designed some new interactive activities to help Scouts understand the intricacies of how gambling relating to sports can effect people.
Ygam Free City & Guilds Safeguarding Training for Scout Volunteers
Ygam are providing two dates exclusively for leaders in Scouting to help increase their knowledge, skills and confidence to support and safeguard young people against gaming and gambling harms.
Once you’ve completed the online session, you’ll receive a City & Guilds certificate for your own ongoing learning and CPD, PLUS you’ll get access to Ygam's free wide range of activities that can be used in your programme for a variety of different badges from Beaver Scouts to Network Scouts.
Topics will include:
- Mental Health and Wellbeing
- Gaming and Gambling harms
- Advertising and sponsorship
- The blurred lines between gaming and gambling
- How to spot signs of harm
- Where to get help and support
- Plus how to approach conversations around gaming and gambling with young people
Please sign up to the session below:
Wednesday 4th December 5:30pm-7:30pm
Scotland Specific:
Thursday 31st October 10:00am-12:00noon
Monday 18th November 5:00pm-7:00pm
More dates coming soon!
Did you know?
- 40% of young people aged 11 to 17 have had some experience of gambling over the last 12 months, with 1 in 4 spending their own money on gambling in the past year.
- 53% of young people had seen or heard gambling advertising via online platforms with 15% saying that they followed gambling companies on social media.
- 54% of young people reported that someone had spoken to them about the potential harms of gambling.
- 91% of UK children aged 3 to 15 play video games on some type of digital device.
- 34% of young people aged 11 to 17 had paid for in-game items in video games with their own money or virtual currency in the last 12 months.
- 21% of young people aged 11 to 17 had spent money or virtual currency to unlock loot boxes, packs or chests to acquire in-game items when playing video games over the last 12 months.
- 49% of children believe online games are only fun when you spend money.
Free City & Guilds Assured training for volunteers and youth workers: Ygam provides online or face-to-face workshops for those in positions of influence or care of children and young people. Delegates gain access to 1000+ resources and tools to equip them with the knowledge, skills and confidence to support and safeguard against gaming and gambling harms.
Contact us at training@ygam.org to find out more about running a bespoke session for your group, district or county.
Following the training, you’ll have free access to help with a wide range of badges across the sections:
Try our resources to fit into your programme and work towards the Money Skills Badge. Use our topics surrounding in-game spending to help make decisions between what they want and what they need.
With the advance in technology, gaming can be a great hobby, but it’s important to have a healthy balance. Use our activities for their gaming to work towards the Hobbies Badge and chat about the safety rules and what they enjoy.
As well as sponsoring the Sports Enthusiast Badge, we also have activities that can help programme for the Global Issues Activity Badge. Interest in esports can be used to discover an international sporting event and how the inclusivity can contribute to better understanding across the world.
Our resources surrounding mental health, finance and understanding the gaming and gambling industries can be used as part of the ‘skills’ element of the top awards to learn about money management or digital resilience. Alternatively, they could run some of the resources for younger sections to help their Young Leader Award.
About Ygam
Ygam’s vision is for every child and young person to be resilient to and safeguarded against gaming and gambling harms.
The charity was established in 2014 as a result of the lived experience of the founders. After suffering for over 25 years with a gambling addiction, Alan Lockhart died by suicide in 2010 at the age of 40. His mother Anne, a former teacher, founded the charity with her husband Keith and Lee Willows. Together they were determined to use education as a tool to raise awareness and help safeguard future generations against gaming and gambling harms.
As part of the initiative, Ygam also delivers free awareness workshops to parents, foster carers, and social workers. The Ygam Parent Hub supports families with lots of practical advice, guidance, and tips to help keep children safe online and prevent harm related to gaming and gambling.
Get your Scout group working towards their Sports Enthusiasts Badge by trying some games and reflecting on their wellbeing.
Each year we recruit for Student Ambassadors within our University and Student Engagement Team, visit the Ygam Student Hub to find out more about these opportunities which can help towards Top Awards.