In a compelling return to our Sixth Form, Scott Davies (Phillips '04) captivated our students with an inspiring narrative of resilience. Unveiling the depths of his struggle as a professional footballer grappling with a gambling addiction, Scott shared a powerful journey of hitting rock bottom. His candid account served as a cautionary tale for our students, whilst also illustrating the transformative power of overcoming challenges.

His clear messages – how things start small, the dangers of addiction, lying, not admitting to mental health problems, not showing vulnerability- were hard-hitting and also hugely relevant as gambling addiction is a growing problem amongst young people. With the prevalence of online betting, the ease at which bets can be placed (325 different betting compainies with an app allowing bets to be placed within 6 seconds of downloading) and the technology designed to extract maximum money from gamblers, this was a talk our students needed to hear.

We received a huge amount of positive feedback from the students that attended and we are so grateful to Scott for his ongoing support and commitment to this programme.

To get involved with our Inspirational Speakers programme please email development@ags.bucks.sch.uk, we would love to hear from you.