Meet the AFGSN Leads

Ian Whiteside – AFGSN Operational Lead - Beacon Counselling Trust

Ian spent 4 years with the 4th Battalion Parachute Regiment and feels a strong sense pride on successfully completing P Company and earning his Military Parachute Wings as a reservist.

Ian is a professional Youth and Community Worker, with an MSc in Drug Use and Addictions with over 25 years’ experience working in the field. Ian has worked extensively in drugs and alcohol treatment, education and prevention programme, residential care settings, lead on projects supporting vulnerable young people involved in risk-taking behaviours, and worked across a range of initiatives within the statutory and voluntary sectors concerning risk-taking behaviours and public health issues.  Since 2019, Ian has been part of the Beacon Counselling Trust Early Intervention and Education Team implementing programmes and services to address gambling related harms.

“I can relate to gambling issues and gambling harms being something that needs to be considered within the armed forces, this was something that I recognised was often part of the culture and environment, alongside alcohol, within a work hard play hard culture.”

Andy Stoneley - Breakeven

Andy served for 23 years as a RLC Chef, and during his time in the forces, suffered severe gambling harm and had a 10 year addiction to gambling. Andy reached out for support with the welfare teams, however, poor error of judgement led to court martial, 12 months detention in MCTC. The support needed is what led Andy to his role in Breakeven and the AFGSN.

"If I can help one person by speaking out about my story, and the harms impacted by gambling, then I’ll take comfort in knowing that I’ve helped to change their life for the better."

Andy Gallie – Beacon Counselling Trust

Andy gambled from the very young age of 9 years old, with an intervention attempted at the age of 13. Joining the Royal Navy at 18 escalated the issue further, with peer pressure, risk taking, drinking, the new found ego from now being a serviceman, all on top of credit not only being available, but encouraged to be taken. Andy served for 13 years, visited 63 countries, and gambled in all but 3.

Since entering Gordon Moody residential rehab centre in 2021, Andy has dedicated his efforts on using his lived experience, and that of those he loves, to help educate and aid prevention for others.

"I set out with a genuine thought, that if I could help just one other family avoid the pain and devastation that I had caused mine, that I would be very happy. The AFGSN has allowed me to reach and impact many more, and it has also secured my own recovery and instilled purpose back in my life. I am now able to fulfil the potential that gambling once restricted" 

Feona Veys – Betknowmore

Feona comes from a huge military family including her Father, both Grandfathers, two uncles and one aunt and also now has two published military historians in the family.  She worked for the Gambling Commission, the regulator of the gambling industry and also the National Lottery so understands gambling, gambling harms, routes to funding and regulations as well as the technology platforms used by the gambling operators.

‘Working at the Gambling Commission opened my eyes to gambling harms when I recruited the first ever Lived Experience Panel which acted as an advisory panel to the Government. In work at Betknowmore, I regularly talk to serving personnel and veterans about their experience of gambling harms and how it can be exacerbated by the environment in which the military operate. I can already see that our awareness raising and training is already making a huge difference in de-stigmatising gambling harm’