Skip to content
Professionals Hub
Chapter One Need urgent help?

Here for everyone affected by gambling

Chapter One is an information and support hub for everyone affected by gambling, and a training provider for the professionals who support them. We are independent of the gambling industry. Gambling harm prevention and public education are our sole focus. 

Created by people with personal and professional experience of gambling harms, Chapter One brings together the facts on the causes & effects of gambling harms, the protective tools that can help, and the treatment options available. By accessing Chapter One, people know they are not alone, it is not their fault, and that there is help available. 

Who is behind Chapter One

Chapter One started as a partnership between two organisations dedicated to reducing the harm caused by gambling: Gambling with Lives and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority.

After a successful pilot, the programme is now run by GwL Gambling with Lives is a charity founded by families bereaved by gambling-related suicide, working to support those affected and to prevent further deaths.

Together, this partnership brings four kinds of expertise to Chapter One: 

  • Clinical expertise from those who treat gambling harms 

  • Public health expertise from those tackling the causes 

  • Lived experience from people who have been harmed by gambling, and from family members and bereaved relatives 

  • Communications and digital expertise to help the right information reach the right people at the right time 

This combination is what shapes Chapter One. Our information reflects the evidence and the experience of those who understand gambling harms first-hand. 

  • James Grimes - Director

    James Grimes, Gambling with LivesUsing experience of gambling harm, leading national campaigns, and a career working in schools and sport, James leads Chapter One, overseeing UK-wide prevention work including education, training, and campaigns.

    Read more from James

  • Steph Pavie - Head of Business, Operations & People

    Steph has 15 years’ experience in the charity sector working in training, development and public engagement at the RNLI and St John Ambulance. Steph ensures Chapter One has the systems, culture and operational strength needed for our people and programmes to thrive.

    Steph's LinkedIn

  • Scott Woolley - Digital Communications Officer

    Scott has over 15 years’ experience in the alcohol, drugs and gambling sectors. He combines his professional expertise with a strong passion for prevention, using his background in marketing & comms to inspire and drive meaningful change.

    Scott's LinkedIn

  • Declan Cregan - Training & Engagement Officer

    Declan leads delivery of education programmes across the island of Ireland and contributes to UK prevention work. His education background and lived experience of gambling harm fuels his passion to reach as many people as possible.

    LinkedIn

    Read more from Declan

  • Freya Lenton - Training & Engagement Officer

    Freya joined the GWL team in September 2024, supporting the delivery of Chapter One. Freya combines her past experience in intervention delivery, mental health, and survivor support, with her passion for prevention.

  • Tom Lamb - Training & Engagement Officer

    Tom brings personal insight and professional experience to his work raising awareness of gambling-related harms. As part of the Chapter One team, he delivers awareness sessions across the UK to help protect and inform others.

Why Chapter One exists

For every person experiencing gambling harms, around six others are affected — most often partners, children and close family members. Yet only around 1 in 200 people who would benefit from treatment are accessing it.

There are several reasons for the gap:

Information about gambling harms and where to find help is not always easy to find or understand
Many people do not connect what they are experiencing — or what they see in someone close to them — with gambling
All forms of gambling carry a higher risk of harm than others, and this is not well understood
Stigma stops people asking for help, even when they want to

Chapter One exists to close this gap. We want to make it easier for people to recognise gambling harms sooner, find the right information faster, and reach the right help in fewer steps.

What makes Chapter One different

A fuller picture, based on evidence 

We give people the full picture of how gambling harms happen, including the role of product design, marketing and the wider environment — not only individual behaviour. This shifts the focus away from blame and shame, and towards prevention and recovery. 

Public health at the centre 

Chapter One is built around a public health approach and we are currently partnered with over 40 local authorities. Anyone can experience gambling harms, at any time, from any background. Our information is for everyone, not only those who already identify as being at risk. 

Lived experience at the core 

The voices of people harmed by gambling, and of those bereaved by gambling-related suicide, shape what we say and how we say it. This is not a service designed for people. It is a service designed with them. 

Independent and trusted 

Chapter One is independent of the gambling industry. People who use Chapter One can be confident that the information they find here is impartial and grounded in evidence. 

Our mission and how we deliver it 

Our mission is to reduce the harm caused by gambling. We deliver this through four connected commitments. 

Two characters graphic - blue and orange

1. Better access to evidence-based treatment for everyone who needs it 

Why? Not enough people get the help they need

Only 1 in 200 people experiencing gambling harms who would benefit from help are currently accessing treatment. Chapter One makes it easier for people to find out what help is available and how to access it — including free, confidential and remote specialist NHS treatment that is open to anyone in England, and equivalent services across the UK. 

Three characters, cream, blue and red illustration

2. Information and guidance for the public 

Public information about gambling has tended to focus on individual behaviour rather than on how some gambling products are designed. Chapter One offers clear, evidence-based information for anyone affected by gambling, including: 

  • How modern gambling products are designed 

  • How to recognise the signs of gambling harms in yourself or someone close to you 

  • How to put protective tools in place, such as bank gambling blocks and self-exclusion 

  • Where to find treatment that works 

Find Out More
Three characters illustration - red, cream and orange

3. Evidence-based training and tools for professionals 

Frontline professionals — in health, social care, housing, financial services, criminal justice and beyond — are often the first to come into contact with someone affected by gambling harms. These people are working with adults, children, and young people. Many have not had access to clear, evidence-based training on the subject. 

Through our 'Train the Trainer' offer, Chapter One has trained over 1,000 professionals so far. After our training: 

  • 95% feel confident to start a conversation about gambling 

  • 98% feel confident to support someone experiencing gambling harms 

"“Prior to this session I was not aware of any help and support groups and networks but now I have this information to share with teams and colleagues.”"
Professional, after Chapter One training

4. Preventative education for young people 

Future generations deserve to be protected from gambling harms. Most children and young people do not know how modern gambling products are designed, the impact of gambling on the developing brain, or where to get help. We are developing preventative education to change this. 

Local authorities, public health teams and integrated care boards across the UK commission Chapter One to deliver gambling harms awareness campaigns and professional training in their areas. If your team is planning a campaign, scoping training, or shaping a wider gambling harms response, see Work with us for details of how we can help.

Lived experience at our core

The voices of people who have been harmed by gambling, and the families of those bereaved by gambling-related suicide, are central to everything Chapter One does. They shape our messaging, the priorities we set, and the support we recommend. 

"I was unaware that support is available, and I struggled to find it. I always felt so alone and that no-one would understand. Once I did find help it changed my life and I started to think about how I can move forward"
David, lived experience of gambling harms

Our 10-Point Plan for Gambling Harm Prevention

In March 2025, Chapter One launched as a national gambling harm prevention provider. To mark the launch, we set out our 10-Point Plan for Gambling Harm Prevention, a clear set of priorities for what needs to change at a national level to reduce the harm caused by gambling. 

The plan covers prevention, treatment, education and the regulatory environment, and reflects the evidence and experience of those working on gambling harms across the UK. 

Find your next step

Chapter One is here for everyone affected by gambling. If you want to learn more about gambling harms, recognise the signs, or find help for yourself or someone close to you, the rest of this site is the place to start. 

  • Find clear information and the right next step, whether you are affected yourself or worried about someone close to you. 

    Get help and information from Chapter One of follow us on Instagram

  • Training, tools and resources for professionals supporting people affected by gambling. 

    Visit the Professionals Hub or follow us on LinkedIn

  • Get in touch with the team at Chapter One — for media, training and partnership enquiries. 

    Get in touch

  • Specialist gambling harms campaigns and professional training, delivered in partnership with local councils, public health teams and integrated care boards across the UK.

    Work with Chapter One

Recite Me accessibility and Language Support