YGAM’s Lee Willows To Bring A Unique Perspective To Social Responsibility Exchange

In a matter of a few weeks bacta’s first Social Responsibility Exchange will be held in London.

Social responsibility is core to bacta’s business and the free-to-attend one day event will unite operators and their staff with professionals representing every facet of education about problem gambling, along with its identification and treatment. The day will provide a mix of high profile speakers, panel discussions and a series of practical workshops. Lee Willows, Founder and Chief Executive of the Young Gamblers Education Trust (YGAM) will be taking part in the panel discussion: Improving the customer journey for the problem or at risk customer, bringing his own unique perspective and that of working with operators over the past few years. YGAM is UK Registered Charity with a social purpose to ‘inform, educate and safeguard young people against problem gambling or social gaming.’ Since Lee founded YGAM almost four-years ago, it has quickly established itself as the emerging, leading education charity around gambling & gaming harm-minimisation in the United Kingdom. Last year alone YGAM worked with almost 56,000 young people and collaborated with almost 350 educational organisations (schools, colleges, universities and charities) to deliver its programme. YGAM has two principle products. The first is its accredited practitioner workshops where teachers, youth workers, community mental health colleagues, prison & probation colleagues and community volunteers are trained and certified to deliver the YGAM gambling & gaming-related harm prevention programme to young people. The second product is university based, where YGAM works in partnership with universities to train year two & three students to become YGAM Peer Mentors. Trained Peer Mentors are then employed part-time to deliver a range of gambling & gaming-related harm prevention programmes and awareness campaigns within their universities and local communities using YGAM’s educational resources. The YGAM programme and resources have been accredited and quality-assured by the Ofqual approved Awarding Body Pearson & ASDAN and quality-assured by the PSHE Association. In addition, YGAM has have achieved the prestigious Pearson Assured quality-standard for the content and educational rigour of its education resources. YGAM’s programmes have been evaluated by City, University of London & University of East London. The YGAM programme complements the National Curriculum (England, Wales and Northern Ireland) PSHE education student enrichment and Ofsted framework. No other education programme globally has such robust foundations Lee will bring a unique and youth-focused perspective to the SR exchange, having worked predominantly in the Third and Education sectors for over 25 years, progressing from a front line youth worker and Post- 16 teacher to holding senior level Director and a Chief Executive positions. Working at the top of his game; raising millions for charities and leading the work of large, complex organisations, Lee developed a devastating gambling addiction, which turned his life upside down and almost drove him to commit suicide. Now gambling free, Lee intends to put his passion for young people’s learning and skills development to good cause, establishing the Young Gamblers Education Trust in order to raise awareness of the potential risks from gambling. Lee is also Manager Director of YGAM Innovations Limited; providing nationally recognised qualifications around safeguarding and safer gambling to gambling operators as well as the establishment of an industry Trailblazers group to develop the industry’s first, employer led, apprenticeship standard and end-point assessment for colleagues wanting to pursue a career within the industry. The first SR Exchange has received a hugely positive response, with registrations strong and still increasing daily. Those wishing to take part in this ground breaking event should contact bacta’s Linda Malcolm on +44(0)20 7730 6444 or at LindaM@bacta.org.uk