Public Health Wales is launching a £1.4m fund to support voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations to deliver gambling harm prevention activity across the country.

In partnership with the Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA), the Gambling Harms Voluntary Sector Grant Fund will run for two years as the first step in Public Health Wales’s wider programme to prevent gambling-related harms.

The fund is open to registered charities, community interest companies, voluntary groups and social enterprises.

Public Health Wales said it 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.

Applications will open on 31 August and close on 19 October.

Public Health Wales said gambling-related harm can have a “devastating impact on individuals, families and communities” and preventing it “is essential to building a sustainable health and care system for the future.”

Helen Erswell, Consultant in Public Health for the Gambling-Related Harms Programme, Public Health Wales, 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, 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.”