Leeds Beckett University and the EPIC Restart Foundation join forces to support people on their recovery from gambling addiction

The team’s first weekend course – entitled ‘+1% - Live the life you want’ – took place in May at the National Sports Centre, Lilleshall – with further courses running in June and July. The courses are delivered by an expert team of coaches from Leeds Beckett’s Carnegie Great Outdoors - leading providers of adventure activities and outdoor education. They have been developed in collaboration with EPIC Restart mentors, who all have personal experience of positive recovery from gambling harm.

Alison Stanton, Business Support Manager at Carnegie Great Outdoors, explained: “Carnegie Great Outdoors coaches have a wealth of experience in delivering experiential programmes around sustainable recovery and building resilience - which are keystones for a positive recovery journey.

“This course has been inspired by the impactful work that Leeds Beckett has delivered over the last ten years, delivering recovery and development courses for military wounded, injured and sick personnel on the Battle Back programme in partnership with The Royal British Legion and the Ministry of Defence.”

Launched in 2021, the EPIC Restart Foundation is a charity providing practical support to help those recovering from a gambling disorder to positively restart their lives. The new residential course forms part of their wider programme of tailored support for those rebuilding their lives after gambling harm.

Sharon Parr, Chief Executive Officer at EPIC Restart Foundation, explained: “There is fantastic treatment out there for people who are trying to stop gambling – but little support after they have stopped. People in recovery can suffer from low confidence, a sense of isolation, and damaged relationships with family and friends – they may also have large debts or have lost their job. They often don’t know where to turn. We focus on putting the pieces back together again so they can move on from their addiction.”

The new residential course tackles all of these areas through a mix of indoor and outdoor activities, over two days. These include: personal development and how to develop healthy daily habits – such as sleep, nutrition, diet, exercise, mindfulness and confidence building; and teamwork activities – such as archery, wheelchair basketball and sit-down volleyball – which encourage participants to get outside of their comfort zones and work together.