Local Prevention Grants Program 2020
In February 2020, the Office of Responsible Gambling offered councils, not-for-profits, and other community organisations the opportunity to apply for funding to reduce or prevent gambling harm through the Local Prevention Grants Program.
The program supports local strategies to support people to make informed decisions about gambling, break down the stigma around gambling, and encourage people to seek advice and support.
About the successful projects
Over $1.5 million was awarded to projects targeting communities at risk of experiencing gambling harm. Five projects focus on Aboriginal communities and four on culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities. Four are for young people, and six are based in regional NSW.
To see the kinds of projects we were looking for you can look at the program guidelines.
Are we achieving our aims?
To measure the success of the program, we worked with an independent evaluator. They provided both a mid-point and final evaluation report.
The final evaluation report focused on the effectiveness of program delivery, outcomes and sustainability.
The evaluators based their findings on a review of relevant literature, document review of project plans, reports and data collected by grant recipients.
Overall, despite the limitations and impacts because of COVID-19, floods and bushfires the results were positive. The program had good reach with:
- 500,000 people and 1174 organisations through mass, print and social media
- 3360 people and 60 organisations through information sessions, workshops and meetings
- 628 people and 202 organisations through in-depth training and face to face repeat interactions
- 169 partnerships established through the program.
The range of evidence collected during the program delivery suggests key outcomes were achieved, particularly those related to awareness of harm, support services and a reduction in stigma.
The main sustainability strategies include the continued use of resources and materials that were created.
The evaluator made four recommendations which we are taking on board.
The midpoint evaluation report focused on the effectiveness and appropriateness of the application process, program delivery, and outcomes of the program to March 2021.
The evaluators based their findings on interviews with the grant recipients and assessors, reviews of successful applications and project plans, and project reports and data collected by the grant recipients.
The evaluator found that the application process was well coordinated, communication and promotion were effective, and expectations were generally clear.
2020 grant recipients
CatholicCare Social Services for the Blue Mountains
Off-Screen & Smart Play
CatholicCare Social Services for the Blue Mountains provides services in low-income and vulnerable communities.
The “Off-Screen & Smart Play” project targeted parents and school-aged children from these communities to increase awareness of how to deal with screen time and cyber safety, and to provide strategies for families.
It aimed to highlight risks associated with gambling harm in these communities and educate families about the risks of online gambling for young people.
Working with local schools and other community organisations, they partnered with 22 community organisations to run workshops.
Grant amount: $20,376
Fairfield City Council
Responsible Gambling Community of Practice Facilitation
Fairfield local government area is one of the most diverse communities in NSW, with 54% of its population born overseas. It also has one of NSW’s highest rates of gambling.
Fairfield City Council wanted to build the capacity of local organisations and community workers through establishing a Responsible Gambling Community of Practice focused on education, innovation, and collaboration. The project aimed to educate, facilitate, promote, train, and build the capacity of local community organisations, community workers, and practitioners to deliver best-practice prevention and gambling harm reduction programs in the Fairfield LGA.
The project delivered several videos and training materials. You can learn more about the project here.
Grant amount: $191,000
Granville Multicultural Community Centre
My Money, My Way
In the Cumberland local government area, Granville Multicultural Community Centre’s “My Money, My Way” project aimed to raise awareness of gambling harm and to build capacity for the community to address it. It was designed to empower young people to make informed choices and better understand the potential impact of gambling on them and their future
Participants attended workshops covering topics such as gambling advertising, the risks associated with certain types of gambling, cyber safety, self-regulation, and strategies to minimise gambling risk. They also ran a social media campaign over a three-week period called #MyMoneyMyWay.
Grant amount: $98,952
Lifeline Broken Hill Country to Coast
Broken Hill Gambling Harm Awareness Program
The Broken Hill Gambling Harm Awareness Program aimed to prevent and reduce gambling harm in the isolated community of Broken Hill in Far West NSW. It was designed to support the community to make informed decisions about gambling, reduce stigma, encourage help-seeking, and connect people who need help with support services.
The main outcome of the project was the ‘Time for a Chat’ campaign which included, social media assets, resources for pubs and clubs, TV and radio advertisements.
Grant amount: $194,000
Lifeline Harbour to Hawkesbury
Financial Life Skills – Don’t get ripped off
The project developed a financial literacy workshop for young people aged 16 to 24 in the Northern Sydney area. The workshop, called Financial Life Skills for Young People, was designed to address the fundamentals of how young people can manage their finances to reach their financial goals, and focused on the risks and potential harms of gambling. The workshop was presented by Lifeline’s financial counsellors.
Grant amount: $10,575
Lifeline North Coast (NSW)
Reduce the Stigma radio campaign
“Reduce the Stigma” was a focused six-month radio campaign designed to reduce stigma and address the major barriers to help-seeking by providing clear and simple messaging and avenues for help. Many people within the community listen to popular radio programs during work and study, and by providing key messages and creating awareness of gambling problems, this project aimed to educate and strengthen the motivation to seek help.
You can listen to the four radio ads, aired on local radio on the NSW mid-north coast.
Grant amount: $25,000
Macedonian Australian Welfare Association NSW
Preventing Gambling Harm in Multicultural Communities
This targeted gambling harm prevention project adopted a whole-of-community education approach involving community members at risk of gambling harm and their families. Collaboration with local ethnic businesses and cultural and religious groups, local council, police, NSW Health, and local clubs was a crucial component.
The aim was to improve community health and safety related to gambling in culturally and linguistically diverse communities in South Eastern and South Western Sydney – particularly the Macedonian, Serbian, Bosnian, and Croatian communities.
An education campaign was delivered in Macedonian and other former Yugoslav languages to raise awareness of gambling and gambling harm, including radio ads and newspaper articles. The project also included two large educational forums, and a monthly outreach group of education workshops.
Grant amount: $58,125
Mudyala Aboriginal Corporation
Women’s Gambling Awareness Rugby League Knockout
Mudyala Aboriginal Corporation provides gambling awareness in an innovative way to Aboriginal communities, in particular to Aboriginal women in high-risk communities in Northern NSW. It has encouraged communities to enter teams in the Women’s Rugby League Knockout. As part of the project, the teams will attend a presentation on gambling risks and a wellbeing camp and have safe gambling messaging on their playing gear.
Team members will also be filmed at the knockout to create gambling harm awareness films. This will be used on social media to create awareness in the broader community. This project has been impacted by the pandemic and floods in Northern NSW and will conclude in mid 2023.
Grant amount: $100,000
Northern United Rugby League Club
Dirrawong Responsible Gambling Program
Northern United Rugby League Club wanted to conduct a multi-level gambling prevention program targeting the Aboriginal community in Lismore and its surrounds. The Dirrawong Responsible Gambling Program was an education program involving partnerships with The Buttery, Gamblers Anonymous, Aboriginal Medical Services, and Beyond Empathy (an Aboriginal-focused organisation that delivers innovative programs to help reduce mental health problems).
A series of education programs were held at weekly community training nights that regularly attract over 120 Aboriginal people of all ages. Program signage and information stalls were in place at all home games.
Grant amount: $30,000
Uniting (Victoria and Tasmania) – project in Southern NSW
Recoded: changing the way we game
The “Recoded” prevention program aimed to provide education and capacity building on gaming and gambling for young people and their support networks, including teachers, wellbeing staff, youth workers, and sporting clubs.
Uniting employed a project officer and youth worker in Southern NSW to co-design a framework that could be delivered across a range of services and spaces accessed by young people to reduce the potential harms of excessive gaming and gambling.
The framework included a train-the-trainer module for key services to ensure the work is embedded in the local community.
Workshops, webinars and forums were held for parents, teachers, students and youth workers.
Grant amount: $200,000
University of Sydney
Bridging the gap through Aboriginal peer support
The University of Sydney Gambling Treatment and Research Clinic (GTRC) is implementing a harm prevention program in Aboriginal communities in Western and South-Western Sydney. It’s designed to increase awareness of problem gambling and enhance referral pathways through collaboration with community Elders to co-design and co-deliver public awareness programs.
The program builds on existing relationships with Aboriginal services to engage Elders as peer-support workers to provide ongoing support throughout the referral and treatment process.
It will increase the number of peer-support workers who can provide community education, enhance referrals and attend therapy groups to offer support. Educational initiatives include workshops and resource sharing at community events, and local media aimed at increasing awareness and promoting gambling support services.
This project will conclude in late 2023.
Grant amount: $198,978
University of Technology Sydney
Aboriginal Animation Training & Resource Program
The Aboriginal Animation Training & Promotion Program at UTS’s Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research partnered with young filmmakers from the Aboriginal community to produce four innovative 30-second animations.
The animations were shown on social media and broadcast on networks such as NITV and SBS, to raise awareness of gambling harm in the NSW Aboriginal community.
Grant amount: $117,800
Walgett Aboriginal Medical Service
Walgett Community Garden: Yarning About Gambling
This project recognised that gambling is a public health issue affecting the social determinants of health for individuals and the community. Its outcomes included targeted connections to information and support for individuals, families, and the community.
Part of the project was to reinvigorate the Walgett Community Garden to provide a space unrelated to alcohol or gambling. The garden is a source of information, pathways to support, development of pride and contribution to the community, and yarning is recognised as an appropriate strategy to engage about the impacts of gambling. The garden provides safe spaces, family-friendly activities and is a source of fresh produce.
The project also had a capacity-building focus, which included training Aboriginal Health Workers in Walgett and Brewarrina to equip them to respond to gambling harm and provide the community with soft entry points, awareness, and support regarding gambling and its impacts.
Grant amount: $94,000
Wesley Community Services
In Charge of My Money
The project aimed to adjust people’s relationship with money and educate and empower them to make better decisions with their money in the hopes of limiting gambling harm in the future. The program design was informed by a literature review that found that more financially literate people may be less likely to take financial risks by gambling, early financial education equips students with the knowledge and understanding to manage their money successfully and prevent problem gambling behaviours, and individuals with a lack of self-control can experience an increase in financial risks and challenges such as problem gambling. A total of 54 workshops with 591 participants were held.
You can learn more about the program here.
Grant amount: $194,000
