The Gambling Awareness Foundation of Nova Scotia is seeking applications for $300,000 worth of grants to fund projects to help Nova Scotian adults harmed by gambling.
The one-year grants of up to $50,000 will be used to help address the factors that contribute to risk, improve local environments and deliver programming to prevent gambling harms.
“There are many dedicated organizations across the province that have a good understanding of what’s happening in their communities and some really interesting ideas about how they can help people who are at risk or who struggle with gambling,” said Health and Wellness Minister Leo Glavine. “We know some people don’t think they are experiencing harm, or are reluctant to reach out to the formal health system.
“That’s why we launched the Take 5 awareness campaign last year, and why I am looking forward to seeing new projects that could help even more.”
Registered charities, community health boards and non-profit organizations are invited to submit proposals to address unmet needs, fill gaps in service or create awareness surrounding problem gambling.
The grant program will be co-ordinated by the Nova Scotia Health Research Foundation. The foundation has more than 15 years of experience in conducting funding competitions and high-calibre peer review services in Nova Scotia.
For more information on the grants, visit http://nshrf.ca/gans or contact Leslie Power at 902-424-4193 or Leslie.Power@novascotia.ca .
A 2013 adult gambling surveillance report found 73 per cent of Nova Scotians aged 19 years and older engaged in one or more gambling activities. This represents a 14.2 per cent decrease in gambling participation since 2007, primarily due to a reduction among low and no-risk participants. It is estimated that 50,000 Nova Scotians are at some risk of harm related to their gambling, and 5,000 could be experiencing severe harm.
The 2013 adult gambling information collection report and the 2011 adolescent gambling surveillance report can be found at http://novascotia.ca/dhw/publications.asp.
Take 5 is an interactive website with live chat, online forums, and motivational text messages in addition to traditional telephone support. It can be accessed by calling 1-888-347-8888, by texting the word TAKE5 to 1-902-700-7702, or by visiting https://gamblingsupportnetwork.ca/ .
Community support is also available across the province. To find help, visit novascotia.ca/dhw/addictions .
Source: Release