Way Forward, the charity said, will provide a safe and confidential space for women to share their experiences, with each week of the initiative to focus on the impact of different areas of gambling harm.

Online groups will take place on Zoom every Tuesday 11 am-12:30 pm over a period of six weeks, beginning on 18 October. Sessions will be run by trained facilitators specialising in supporting women affected by gambling-related harm.

The first session will introduce the programme and offer an overview of upcoming groups, with the first full session on 1 November to look at understanding gambling addictions and financial implications.

Future groups will focus on attendees taking care of themselves, dealing with any guilt and shame, dealing with both anger and resentment, and having difficult conversations and acceptance.

The latest initiative comes after GamCare last month announced that it was to partner with the Young Gamers and Gamblers Education Trust and Fast Forward to launch a new framework to help educate young people in the UK about gambling harm.

Designed for use in the education sector, the Gambling Education Framework provides a set of evidence-based principles to deliver effective gambling education for anyone who works with young people aged between seven and 24.

The framework can be used across formal and informal settings, including schools, and was established with input from the Gambling Prevention Education Forum, which includes organisations that deliver gambling prevention education or train practitioners to offer this.