EPIC Restart Foundation

Who we are

The EPIC Restart Foundation provides free, life-changing support that empowers people to rebuild positive lives after gambling harm.

“The single best thing I have ever done for myself. I have a renewed sense of power over my life, my mindset, and my goals. A genuinely life changing experience.”

Our programmes are led by people with lived experience and combine expert-led delivery and an evidence-based approach. We empower people to regain the confidence to take responsibility for their own recovery – with practical tools and coping strategies to overcome legacy gambling harms and enjoy a positive, sustainable recovery, with reduced risk of relapse.

Establishing and sustaining a lasting recovery after gambling addicition is incredibly difficult. People tell us they feel ‘stuck’ – struggling with anxiety, stigma, lacking in confidence, lonely and heavily in debt. 
 

“My life completely changed after starting with EPIC Restart Foundation, I started to rebuild my life again. I had been in recovery for 3 years but yet I was still “stuck” in some areas of my life. I joined a lot of the community sessions; I got to listen to other people’s journeys, and this was inspiring and motivating to aid my own recovery. I found my confidence again, I found my dignity and I realised, my past, my addiction it doesn’t define me. I am allowed to move forward in life so that’s what I did, I signed up to college, I trained to be a peer supporter, I took part in women’s only groups and I started to talk about my story which actually began to lift the weight off my shoulders. EPIC Restart Foundation gave me empowerment, hope, and made me realise I can, and I will achieve anything if I put my mind to it. I will be forever thankful to EPIC Restart Foundation for being the turning point in my life where I found my purpose again.”

“I started my journey with EPIC 3 months into recovery. I was lucky enough to go on the +1% event. That weekend changed my life no doubt about it. I learnt a lot that weekend from who to mix around with, how to deal with depression or anxiety and just had some great chats with people over the course of the weekend. Since +1% I joined a football team in addiction, I’ve started running, cold water therapy, educating myself in mental health, reading, studying, helping, supporting. It gave me the foundation to achieve all these things. I’m the strongest physically and mentally I’ve been.

Thank you again EPIC for all you’ve done and continue to do. "Live an EPIC life"- and that is exactly what I’m doing.”

Our culture and values

We launched our UK-wide pilot programmes in May 2021. Our activities are co-created with expert partners, shaped through consultation with our audience and informed by continuous monitoring. We have learned much in the past two and a half years - the feedback has been incredible and our approach continues to evolve as we grow.

Lived experience is at the heart of our offer and our mentors’ own experience of gambling harms is crucial to building trust and gaining respect with clients. Our lived experience team are all active in the gambling harms sector, sharing their stories and influencing sector developments. They offer dignity and hope to inspire people to make the practical changes which help sustain recovery and reduce vulnerability to relapse.

We focus on initiating lasting change with good mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing at the heart of a positive recovery. Our programmes empower people to:

+ overcome isolation and reconnect with healthier support networks
+ restore confidence, resilience, and self-belief
+ develop practical coping strategies
+ take responsibility for finding a purposeful direction in life

Equality, diversity and inclusion policy

EPIC Restart Foundation is committed to creating an inclusive culture. We understand the importance of incorporating all aspects of diversity, equity, and inclusion in everything we do. We aspire to increase the diversity of our team and we encourage candidates with a range of work and life experiences to apply, in particular people from ethnic minority backgrounds, who are under represented in our organisation. We believe everyone should feel safe in their working environment and be supported to achieve their potential. We carry out DBS checks where applicable but experience of the CJS is not an automatic barrier to joining our team.