The Ballarat community lost $64.3 million on Gaming Machines over the 2022-2023 financial year.
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Gambling Harm Awareness Week will be held from 16 to 22 October 2023. Join us to recognise Gambling Harm Awareness Week and learn about the impact of gambling on our community. This year's focus is on how to have a conversation with someone whose gambling is becoming a concern.
As part of Gambling Harm Awareness Week, Ballarat Gambling Harm Prevention Taskforce presents a performance and panel discussion followed by a free lunch. The event will be hosted by Lynda Genser, a Gambling Harm Lived Experience speaker (see more below).
11.00 am – 12.00 noon: Presentation by Three Sides of the Coin (people who have been harmed by gambling perform their stories)
12.00 noon – 1.00 pm: Panel Discussion (see information about the speakers below):
1.00 pm – 2.00 pm: Light Lunch (closer to the event, we will contact people who register regarding dietary requirements)
About Three Sides of the Coin
Our work ignites conversation. Gambling is a public health concern which affects us all. Through creative workshops and with peer support, people explore their stories. Performance scenes are devised based on people’s lived experiences. We share these stories to challenge stigma and highlight the links between gambling, alcohol and drugs, mental health and family violence.
FROM RUIN TO RECOVERY
In 2012, Melbourne writer Arnold Zable conducted writing workshops for people with gambling addiction, the result was an anthology of eleven stories ‘From Ruin to Recovery – Gamblers share their stories’.
FROM WORDS TO PERFORMANCE
With an invitation to present the book at the 2013 Melbourne Writers Festival (See short film here), Artistic Director Catherine Simmonds OAM, came on board to dramatize the reading with participants. The presentation was met with a standing ovation and as the silence of shame cracked, it became our defining moment.
TRANSFORMING SILENCE INTO ACTIVISM
Recognised as pioneering and powerful, the demand for our performance-based activism quickly grew. It continues to evolve in collaboration with the sectors of local government, mental health, justice, education, alcohol and other drugs, family violence, research, community and cultural groups.
CHALLENGING THE STATUS QUO
Our storytelling, both in-person and online, continues to reach audiences across Australia igniting conversations, challenging stigma, building empathy and all the while framing gambling as a public health concern.
Lynda Genser
Lynda migrated to Australia from Canada more than 50 years ago and made a life for herself running her own business as a chef for 30 years, before taking on the executive director role at a charitable organisation. Now retired, Lynda volunteers in her local opportunity shop and enjoys spending time with her children and seven grandchildren.
Lynda is a member of the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation's Lived Experience Advisory Committee which provides their board and management with perspectives from personal experience of gambling harm, including harm from someone else’s gambling. Members of the committee represent diverse gambling experiences and backgrounds.
Lynda says, "You can have a really good life after gambling is my message. When I finally stopped, it was almost like a weight had been taken off my shoulders. I could remember something my parents used to say to me, you know if at first you don't succeed try again. Well in my case, that's what happened and now twelve and a half years later, I'm a gambler, I always will be unfortunately, but I don't gamble anymore."
Read Lynda's Story - and another version here.
Shayne Rogers
Shayne is a proud Taungurung man and family man. He is the Housing Project Manager for an Aboriginal organisation, overseeing the building of social housing for local Aboriginal people.
Shayne developed and hosted the podcast series Not a Dollar More, using storytelling to shine a light on people’s experiences of gambling harm. It has had over 25,000 listens. He continues to share his ideas with the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation's Lived Experience Advisory Committee to achieve better outcomes for people with a lived experience of gambling harm.
Read Shayne’s personal story of gambling harm: Streaming gambling recovery.
Source: Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation
Daniel Irwin
As a young adult Dan Irwin had too much free time, and too much money. To most people it sounds like the dream combination but for Dan it was a recipe for addiction. A gambling addict for over a decade, Dan’s story of two lost marriages, dismissal from his job, being issued an AVO and his contemplating suicide are sobering and emotional. But the tools he learnt from a counsellor to fight his addiction are life skills every person should know and in his presentations, he shares them with sincerity in the hope he can stop at least one other person making the same mistakes.
Dan was a member of the Senior Football and Cricket teams in his local country town. The culture among the teams was one of binge drinking and gambling and Dan was easily misguided. The first sign Dan’s habit was spiralling out of control was soon after he married and he began drawing on savings to feed his addiction. When his marriage broke up, a heavy bout of depression saw Dan’s gambling increase. He married for a second time and found new employment, but the cycle was vicious, with more money there was more to bet with. Dan became reclusive, shied away from friends and soon his wife called for a separation. It was while staying on his Mum’s couch in 2012 that Dan hit rock bottom, but it was at the bottom that he learnt, ‘the only way is up’.
Dan’s presentation style is down-to-earth and open; he loves to take questions from his audience because he admits that talking about his past is therapy in itself. He is passionate about helping others and listens without judgement about their experiences with gambling, offering a wealth of advice and life lessons.
Dan’s speaking credits to date include Collingwood Football Club, Sons of the West (Western Bulldogs), Moreland Shire Council and the Responsible Gambling Foundation. Dan builds a strong rapport with all his audiences and connects with those who might otherwise feel frightened, alone, unsure or just have a question, or three.
Trench Room, Ballarat Town Hall
Lynda Genser
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The Ballarat East Neighbourhood House will use the information provided in our registration forms to communicate with the registered participant about the activity in which they have enrolled (for example: confirming activity details, finalising payments, changes such as cancellations or substitute teachers and priority enrolment opportunities for future activities). Where an email address has been provided, we will use your personal information to send you our regular email update and we may also send occasional extra communications about our activities, opportunities, relevant issues and about the Ballarat East Neighbourhood House more broadly. You may choose to opt out of the email updates. The Ballarat East Neighbourhood House's Privacy Policy is available at ballarateastnh.org.au/about-us/policies-procedures/privacy-policy-full. The policy contains important information about how you can access and request correction of information we hold about you, how you may complain about a breach of the Australian Privacy Principles and how the Ballarat East Neighbourhood House will deal with any privacy complaint. If you have any questions, our contact details are email: reception@ballarateastnh.org.au, phone: 0422 612 052 or post: Barkly Square: Wadawurrung Country, 25-39 Barkly Street, Ballarat East, 3350 or PO Box 1443, Ballarat East, 3354
Ballarat East Neighbourhood House (BENH) is committed to protecting and upholding the right to privacy of BENH users, staff, Committee of Management (CoM) members and representatives of agencies we deal with. In particular, BENH is committed to protecting and upholding the rights of our users and staff to privacy in the way we collect, store and use information about them, their needs and the services we provide to them.
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Cancellation Policy
Ballarat East Neighbourhood House (BENH) reserves the right to cancel activities if the required minimum number of participants enrolled prior to the activity starting date is not met. A full refund will be given for payments received.
In the case that the activity teacher is unable to attend due to illness or an unexpected change of circumstances, the class may be postponed to a later date or cancelled. If the class is postponed and the rescheduled date does not suit a participant, a refund may be requested.
Refund Policy
Fee refunds are not automatic and must be applied for in writing to the Manager.
The following will be taken into account before a Refund is issued: