Cafs sharpens focus on gambling harm after public forum

LAST week’s gambling harm awareness forum in Ballarat has given Cafs a clear focus as it plans its next 12 months to two years’ worth of work on the issue.

More than 60 people from over a dozen organisations participated in the child and family service organisation’s event, which was held at Mercure Ballarat.

Gambling harm campaigner Reverend Tim Costello was the keynote speaker, while Dan Irwin of Buninyong – a lived experience volunteer speaker through Banyule Health’s ReSPIN program – also featured.

Linda Borner, team leader for the Cafs Gambler’s Help program, also spoke and described the event as “a fantastic result.”

“We had a similar event a couple of years ago where it was really just raising awareness, but we wanted to build on that,” Ms Borner said.

“My job is to create and empower, and start creating some empathy. We need to create empathy in order to create change.

“There is such a stigma around gambling harm. There should be no shame in becoming addicted to a product that is designed to keep you there.

“Addiction doesn’t discriminate – it doesn’t care (about) your age, your gender, your sexual orientation, what car you drive.

“Anyone can become addicted…and we know that six to 10 people for every one person that gambles are affected by the person’s gambling.”

Ms Borner said Cafs had hoped that organisations participating in the event would take on gambling harm awareness as part of their business.

“We had over 14 different agencies and community organisations attend, lots of CEOs and lots of leaders and changemakers from those organisations, who have now committed to minimising gambling harm within their organisations,” she said.

Ms Borner said a community consultation session allowed participants to suggest ways that Cafs could help them help their employees.

“We did that community consult at the end because we wanted that to inform our next 12 to 24 months of work,” she said.

“People want their staff to be educated; they want their communities to be educated, and to be helped.”

Ms Borner said Cafs would now work with those organisations to help them educate and support their employees.

Cafs operates in Ballarat, Bacchus Marsh, Ararat and surrounds.