Purpose

To accept a new revenue-only grant for preventing gambling harms at a local level.

Funded by the statutory gambling levy, and awarded through the Office of Health Improvement and Disparities, Sheffield City Council has been allocated a Gambling Harms Prevention Grant of up to £134,963 for 2026/27. The Council’s grant allocation for 2027/28 will be announced towards the end of this financial year and a further decision will be sought for the 2027/28 funding at this stage.

 This grant must be used exclusively to fund gambling harms prevention activity and as such will support the continued implementation of the Gambling Harms Prevention Strategy for Sheffield 2024-2034.

Decision

To approve that the Council becomes accountable body for £134,963 of Gambling Harms Prevention Grant for 2026/27 awarded through the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities and approve that the Council enters into the Memorandum of Understanding for this grant.

Reasons for the decision

Gambling harms are a growing public health concern. Funded by the statutory gambling levy, and awarded through the Office of Health Improvement and Disparities, Sheffield City Council has been allocated a Gambling Harms Prevention Grant of up to £134,963 for 2026/27. The Council’s grant allocation for 2027/28 will be announced towards the end of this financial year.

Becoming accountable body for this grant will support the continued implementation of Gambling Harms Prevention Strategy for Sheffield 2024-2034. The grant must be used exclusively to fund gambling harms prevention activity in accordance with expectations set out in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, acting through the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, and Sheffield City Council for this grant. This MoU covers the the period 2026/27 with an allocation to be agreed towards the end of this financial year for 2027/28.

Alternative options considered

The only alternative option considered is for the Council to decline this new grant funding. This option has been rejected as there are currently limited financial resources in the Council for gambling harms prevention activity and this new grant will support the continued implementation of the Gambling Harms Prevention Strategy for Sheffield 2024-2034.