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YGAM awarded Trusted Charity Mark for effective governance and management

Published

5 years ago

September 23, 2021

Reading Time: 2 minutes

The Young Gamers and Gamblers Education Trust (YGAM) has recently achieved the Trusted Charity Mark Level 2 award recognising the exceptional work it does as a third sector organisation.

YGAM was assessed against the 11 standards of effective practice in Trusted Charity, including in governance, leadership and management, managing staff and volunteers and managing money, and proved to meet all standards. Trusted Charity is part of the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) and is the only UK quality standard designed to help third sector organisations operate more effectively and efficiently.

Caroline Gallagher, Director of Quality Assurance at YGAM said “We are pleased to receive this recognition following a vigorous external assessment. As a registered charity, one of our key priorities is to maintain outstanding governance, systems and management together with continual improvement. This achievement demonstrates the exceptional level to which the charity is currently operating at and reflects the professionalism we have in our fantastic staff team. The robust processes which we have implemented ensure our independence is strong and our standards are high.”

Nick Snow, Trusted Charity Programme Manager, NCVO said “We are delighted for the trustees, staff and volunteers of YGAM that they have achieved the Trusted Charity Mark Level 2. We know that organisations using the Trusted Charity standard benefit by having better governance, better systems and procedures and better quality of services for their users and it is great that the community of Trusted Charity users is growing”.

YGAM has established an organisation Quality Management System across the entirety of the charity to ensure consistent and impactful delivery. The charity is led by a Board of Trustees who are all independent of the gambling industry and who all give their time voluntarily. Within their tight governance structures, YGAM also have a Finance, Audit & Risk Committee who scrutinise all our donations and support the Senior Leadership Team to ensure that at no time is our independence compromised. The charity encourages all donations are sent via the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) which brings in an additional level of governance and scrutiny.

All the YGAM resources, training and education programmes have been externally scrutinised, challenged, evaluated and quality marked by a wide range of organisations including City & Guilds; National Council for Voluntary Organisations and Clearview Research. A critical part of all these evaluations is being able to demonstrate clear independence and show evidenced-based approaches.

Alona Shevtsova

Sends CEO Alona Shevtsova moderates Global Gaming Expansion panel in Riyadh

Published

38 minutes ago

June 25, 2026

Wladimir P.

sends-ceo-alona-shevtsova-moderates-global-gaming-expansion-panel-in-riyadh

Alona Shevtsova, CEO of Sends, will moderate a panel at The Blockchain show on 29^th June, bringing together experts from entertainment, location-based gaming, and content localisation to examine what it takes to build sustainable gaming ecosystems across emerging markets.

The panel, titled “Global Gaming Expansion: Lessons from Untapped Markets,” will structure its discussion across four themes: the growth dynamics reshaping emerging gaming markets; the role of localisation in creating experiences that genuinely connect with new audiences; the infrastructure and communities needed to build gaming ecosystems beyond the game itself; and the lessons and opportunities that will define successful expansion in the years ahead.

Alona Shevtsova plans to frame the discussion around the central challenge for companies looking to expand globally: entering a new market requires far more than bringing an existing product to a new audience. Understanding local cultures, building communities, adapting experiences, and creating ecosystems that allow gaming to grow sustainably are all as important as the product itself.

Alona Shevtsova, CEO of Sends, said:

“The future growth of gaming will come not only from new technologies, but from understanding people — their cultures, communities, and the experiences they want to be part of. Successful expansion will belong to those who can combine global ambition with local understanding.”

The first segment will examine why regions including the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia are becoming increasingly significant for developers, operators, and investors — driven by young audiences, accelerating digital adoption, and new entertainment models creating substantial growth potential. Panellists will explore how consumer preferences differ across markets and what trends among younger audiences are shaping the future of gaming and entertainment.

The third segment will broaden the lens beyond the game itself, exploring the role of location-based entertainment, gaming centres, esports, and experiential destinations in attracting new audiences and building long-term communities. Panellists plan to address how entertainment ecosystems — spanning physical venues, events, and community infrastructure — accelerate gaming adoption in markets where the category is still establishing itself.

Earlier this month, Alona Shevtsova was shortlisted for the 2026 Great British Entrepreneur Awards in the Established Business of the Year category. Her team is also preparing for the Fintech Connect conference in London later this year. Sends will be a leading sponsor of this event.

*Sends is a trade name of SMARTFLOW PAYMENTS LIMITED, registered in England and Wales (Company No.11070048). For more information, visit sends.co .

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