One week. That’s all it’s been since we officially launched The Prevention Project CIC, and honestly, I’m not quite sure I can put into words what the first week has felt like.
A week ago, I was preparing to put my story, my gambling history, my recovery and everything that has come with it out into the open. There’s something very different about talking about your past privately and putting it publicly on a website for everyone to see. Parts of my story that I spent years trying to move away from are now there for everyone to read.
And the response has been something I genuinely couldn’t have prepared for.
In our first week, we’ve moved into our new office space at Falcon Business Centre in Plymouth, and launched our brand-new website with a huge amount of help from Richard at Digicraft Web. For any website enquiries, contact Richard on 07949 558178 or at digicraftweb.uk.
We also collected our work kit from a fantastic local company in Plymouth. Epic Workwear — Print and Embroidery worked fast to reply to us and get our designs printed in time for launch. You can contact them at www.epicworkwear.co.uk.
Then, importantly, we’ve had meetings with local council members, headteachers and education leaders across the region.
We’ve also had the opportunity to sit down with an ex-England international and his family, while meeting with local businesses who are already looking at ways they can partner with us and help take the work further.
Somehow, amongst all of that, we’ve also had three workshops booked in during our first week.
But perhaps the biggest part of the week has been the messages.
People reaching out to tell me about their own experiences. Parents talking about their concerns. People affected by someone else’s gambling. People working in education, sport, business and the community simply asking:
“How can we help?”
I’ve genuinely been overwhelmed by the level of support we’ve received.
When you spend months building something from an idea in your own head, you don’t really know how people are going to respond when you finally put it out there. You hope people understand it. You hope people believe in it. You hope people see why it matters.
This week, people haven’t just understood it.
They’ve wanted to be part of it.
And that has probably been the biggest motivation of all.
Because it has shown us just how many people believe there is a need for meaningful gambling-harm prevention, education and recovery across the South West.
We’re still only at the beginning. There are so many more schools, colleges, apprentices, sporting organisations, businesses and communities we want to reach.
And if you’ve been following what we’re doing and think you, your organisation or your business could play a part, please get in touch.
It might be providing a workshop opportunity, helping us reach a school, opening a door, offering expertise, supporting the work financially, becoming a business partner, or simply connecting us with someone who needs to hear what we’re doing.
We genuinely want people to get involved.
This isn’t something I want to build on my own. The whole reason for creating The Prevention Project was to build something that belongs to the communities we’re trying to protect.
This first week has lit an even bigger fire underneath me to get on with it.
So, to everyone who has followed us, shared our posts, sent a message, offered support, booked a workshop, introduced us to someone or simply taken the time to listen — thank you.
This is only week one.
And if this is what the first seven days look like… I’d keep an eye on what comes next.
Macauley South
Founder & Director, The Prevention Project CIC