Choice Not Chance: The Nelson Experience.

6 August

Recovered gambler and well-known Christchurch rapper Scribe will be bustin’ rhymes on the Church Steps in a bid to stop others taking his path to pub pokies.

The Nelson Experience is being organised by Andrew Jonas from the Problem Gambling Foundation.

The event is part of the Choice not Chance campaign aimed at strengthening community awareness about gambling-related harms. Scribe has previously confessed to drugs, alcohol and gambling addictions.

Andrew says the greatest amount of gambling related harm in New Zealand is caused by pub pokies, especially in vulnerable communities.

“While we can celebrate that Victory community’s success in its fight to have several pokie machines removed, over 80 per cent of people asking for help say pub pokies are their main form of gambling.“

The Nelson Experience will be a multicultural event and will include performances from Maori, Bhutanese and Zomi communities, as well as hip hop dance and rap artists.

“The vision I have for the success of the event is that it is supported by the groups most affected by gambling-related harms,” he says. “By making it appeal to youth I hope it will make future leaders aware of the pitfalls of problem gambling.”

Andrew says while the event isn’t specifically targeting youth, there is an increase in online gambling, gaming and addiction to technology from young people.

Other guest speakers at the event include Problem Gambling Consumer Advisor, Brenda McQuillan and members of the Nelson Gambling Policy Taskforce, which successfully fought to get pokie machines removed from a bar in Victory Square.

The regional finalists of the Scribe-with-us online competition will also present their entries at the event. Entrants had to write a poem, short story, rap or song including the keywords, ‘Let’s choose to end harmful gambling’ and ‘Choice Not Chance’. The day starts at 10am with a blessing, and includes a BBQ, face painting, balloon art and a DJ.

The Nelson Experience is on 25 August on the historic 1903 site in Trafalgar St between 10 am – 1pm.

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