Welcome to GameSmart CIC
GameSmart CIC is a digital wellbeing initiative helping young people build healthier relationships with gaming and online spaces.
We work with schools, families, and sector partners to deliver inclusive, evidence-informed programmes that promote safety, resilience, and critical thinking in the digital world.
Founded by Craig de Vos, a strategic programme leader who led the UK’s largest national gambling harms education programme for over five years, GameSmart was born out of urgent need.
During a successful pilot campaign in several primary schools, Craig uncovered significant gaps in provision and growing harms linked to gaming — especially among younger children.
GameSmart CIC was launched to address those gaps with targeted, safeguarding-led interventions that empower young people and support the professionals who work with them.
As a Community Interest Company, we reinvest in co-designed, inclusive initiatives that reflect youth voice and sector best practice. Our mission is simple: to make gaming healthier, safer, and more inclusive — for everyone.
Work for a Primary School?
Access your FREE Gaming Health Check
Contact us to receive your unique survey link and with our support, gain insight into your Year Five and Year Six students' gaming habits.
The survey covers the types of games students are playing, how much time and money they are spending on gaming, what online harms they are encountering, and how comfortable they feel discussing gaming experiences with the adults in their lives.
Following the completion of the survey, the GameSmart team will provide a detailed insights report and discuss next steps.
GameSmart CIC are committed to providing this service FREE of charge to all Primary Schools in England and Wales.
Building Healthier Gaming Communities
GameSmart CIC is dedicated to empowering children and their families to develop healthy gaming habits and ensure online safety.
We equip children, families, and teachers with the essential knowledge and skills to navigate the digital world confidently, fostering a balanced and secure relationship with gaming.
Addressing the need
89%
of children aged 3-17 play video games
39%
of parents are finding it hard to control screen time
*Ofcom's Children and Parents: Media Use and Attitudes Report (2025)
Parents are concerned about elements of gaming
- 62% of parents worry about their children talking to strangers online
- 54% of parents are worried about the content of the games their child plays
- 52% of parents are worried about the impact of in-game spending
Online Safety education needs a boost
- Only 45% of children find online safety lessons 'very useful'
- The Department of Culture, Media and Sport highlights the need for improved digital resilience and critical thinking in children
- The Online Safety Act underscores the need for comprehensive education and empowerment of users - especially children and families - when it comes to gaming
- Many primary schools report limited capacity to deliver digital wellbeing education
GameSmart provides the solutions
GameSmart's approach is shaped by community involvement and co-design, using feedback from children, parents, and teachers to inform our resources and delivery.
By educating children, training school staff and supporting families, we aim to build a legacy of digital literacy and well-being within communities.
Below is a selection of that we provide, which together provides a holistic approach to creating healthier gaming communities.
If you are looking for another solution, please feel free to get in touch with us – we will be more than happy to help.
Healthy Gaming Workshops
Interactive workshops for children delivered in classroom settings covering spending within games, managing screen time, balancing online/offline behaviours, and online safety principles.
Teacher / Staff Training
Training sessions for staff aimed at improving their knowledge about the world of gaming, increasing confidence in identifying if children are experiencing harm, and how to support families in their community to adopt heathy gaming practices.
Info Sessions for Parents
Practical session for parents covering the benefits of gaming, ways to manage their children’s gaming habits, parental controls and privacy settings, cyberbullying, and other online harms, and encouraging open communication around gaming in their families.
Community Engagement
Bespoke events designed at encouraging children, their families, and their community to come together and talk about their views on gaming, agree boundaries, and have fun together.
Information and Resources
Regularly updated website and social media content, Q&A sessions, and community interaction. Age-appropriate game recommendations, articles on benefits of gaming, screen time management strategies, and online safety guides.
Leaflets, brochures, and toolkits for parents and educators.
Advice and Support
Online and in-person forums for parents to connect, share experiences, and access support.
Identifying at-risk children through self-referrals and existing staff knowledge and providing a one-to-one brief intervention following the Healthy Gaming Workshop.
GameSmart CIC is uniquely positioned to address the escalating challenges of digital engagement, fostering a generation that can confidently and safely thrive in the gaming world.
We are seeking partnerships and funding to expand our vital work and create a brighter, healthier, and more connected future for children across the UK.
If you are interested in partnering or funding our initiatives please get in touch.
If you are a school who are interested in enlisting our services please get in touch.
Contact us
Email: hello@gamesmart.org.uk
Registered Community Interest Company Number: 16871872