This week of volunteers, we are highlighting the work of our incredible supporters of even online peers. We talked to Tracey and Jonathan, two volunteers who have suffered damage to gambling through the gambling of someone close to them and now use their experiences to help others.

“When I found Gamcare for the first time, I felt like I was the most solitary person in the world,” says Tracey.

“My son was a gambler for ten years. I didn’t tell anyone for many years, until I phoned the assistance line. The person at the end of the phone listened to me: I spoke and spoken, crying and crying.”

After receiving individual Gamcare support, Tracey knew that he wanted to help people face similar challenges.

“I always said, from the moment my son went into healing, I was about to return. When I saw the role, I thought – I am! I said that if I could help a person who feels as I did, then it’s a job done.

“One of the people I supported was a woman whose son was fighting with gambling. At the end of the six months, he told me”Thanks to you, now I have the strength to go on “. I just cried! “

The power of the support between peer

Volunteer online peers supporters use their experiences of gambling damage to support others through one or more of our peer support spaces.

Whether it is to exchange and -mail regular with someone for a few months, facilitate the discussion in our chat rooms or to respond to posts in our forums, these volunteers offer encouragement and motivation to those who suffer from gambling damage – through their gambling or that of a loved one.

“When I started volunteering I wondered, How much impact can really have an e -mail? “Jonathan said, who experienced the experience of supporting close friends with gambling damage.

“But the more I did, the more I realized that it is such a fantastic tool for people.

“Because it’s all for e -mail, there is less pressure. You have a certain degree of distance, and I think that in reality I encourage people to open up. It is almost like a diary, but one in which someone is listening and supporting on the other side. It makes people feel a little less alone.”

Build relationships

Often, people call the national game line of Gamcare in a moment of crisis. But with the support of even online peers, it is about building long -term relationships.

“This role offers you the opportunity to use your experiences with gambling damage – the things you learned, perhaps in a dark and difficult place – and use them as a force for good to help others. I think it’s really powerful.

“Being part of someone’s healing is incredibly rewarding. A person I am supporting, has passed a lot and told me that I am the first person I have ever really opened.

“I was a little worried before I started. Is it right for me? I would know enough? But the training gave us all the tools we needed to do it in our own way. There was a real attention to bring our voices and experiences to these and -mail.”

Growth and opportunities

Jonathan is currently studying a master’s degree in psychology and has been inspired by his voluntary experiences in Gamcare.

“Everything is based on evidence; I found it fascinating. So much so that I am actually doing my thesis on the people affected by someone else’s gambling and the services they use.”

Volunteering also led to a great change for Tracey. Inspired by his experiences, he has embarked on a career change and is now adviser to the Gamcare assistance line.

“I want to work with the damage of gambling until I retire – and even then, I know I will return to volunteering.

“My son is so proud of what I do – he thinks he is fantastic. He doesn’t want anyone to experience what we both have experienced.

“We have always been like two peas in a pod, and then everything was destroyed. But now we are back. Every day my son is in my life is a wonderful day.”

Could you use your experience lived in gambling damage to support others? Find out more about how to become a voluntary online supporter and apply today.