As part of the Sixth Form Personal, Social, Health and Citizenship Education (PSHCE) programme, on Friday 26 February a former teenage county cricket player, Patrick Foster, spoke about his gambling addiction. Having struggled to the point of wanting to end his life, he is now keen to help others who have been consumed with this habit and to encourage young people to seek help if they, or people they know, are struggling with an addiction.
Passionate about cricket, he described how as a teenager he was picked up by Northants Academy. But, sadly, things did not materialise into professional cricket. After achieving a degree in social sciences at Durham University, where he continued to play cricket for his university, he began a brief career in insurance in the City of London.
Whilst at university, gambling was a hobby, but when he began working in the City this hobby became quickly out of control. His family were in teaching, so he decided to leave the City and he hoped that by joining that profession he might be able to put a stop to this addiction.
Unfortunately, this made things worse because, he thinks now, he was able to succeed too easily. He began to build up debts through gambling and through lifestyle, then through individual loans.
His life became monopolised by gambling. He found he had to hit rock bottom in order to seek help. He became so fearful, ashamed, and felt like there was no way out.
He desperately needed help and turned, thankfully, via a WhatsApp message to his brother when he was considering ending it all. He then caught up with an ex-professional cricketer who had spoken to someone else who suggested he should contact the Professional Cricketers’ Trust.
Patrick could not see why they would be interested in him, but they actually became his support network away from his family. They, along with the treatment centre he went through, saved his life.
He is now trying to help other people to be open about their gambling addiction and to find the help that they need.
Mr Jack Sims, Head of Sixth Form General Studies, said: ‘Patrick Foster gave an inspiring talk that was filled with many important messages about the negative consequences to engaging in gambling and the difficulties one faces when it becomes an addiction. These are issues that, sadly, many people face and so it is critically important as part of our Sixth Form education at Pangbourne College we help raise awareness of them. We look forward to welcoming him back next year.’
