The Living Room Cardiff welcomed the UK’s Shadow Home Secretary, Diane Abbott, as she met individuals receiving counseling at this unique facility for problem gambling and other addictions as part of a wider meeting to discuss the centre’s unique Beat the Odds imitative.
Wynford Ellis Owen, who runs the Beat the Odds initiative on behalf of Living Room Cardiff, said, “it was a great pleasure to be able to welcome Diane Abbott to Living Room Cardiff.
“It is not often we get the opportunity to meet senior UK politicians and showcase the unique work we are undertaking here in Cardiff and elsewhere in Wales. We adopt an all addictions approach and Diane was interested to hear about the service we operate. She was also wishing to discuss and hear our views on policy issues relevant to her remit as Shadow Home Secretary in particular with regard to problem gambling and drug legislation.
“These are major issues of the day and unless we as a country can have a rational, rather than polarized, debate on such matters we can never achieve a policy which is sustainable in the long term.
“I hope she took some inspiration from the work we do and the conversations held with those in recovery to help shape future policy direction for the UK.”