Patrick Foster

Motivational Speaker | Mental Health Advocate | ‘The Power of Addiction’

Patrick Foster is a motivational speaker, mental health advocate, and the founder of GAM-Ed, an education provider grounded in lived experience and dedicated to bringing human-centred learning into workplaces and schools.

Patrick’s work turns awareness into meaningful action, helping people and organisations grow stronger through understanding, openness, and authenticity.

His mission is to break the silence that too often surrounds mental health and addiction. Patrick creates space for honest conversations, reminding people that reaching out for help is not a sign of weakness, but of extraordinary strength. He emphasises that the first step toward change is recognising that something isn’t right—and understanding that challenges don’t have to be faced alone.

Booking is easy with Great British Talent. To find out availability and fees for Patrick Foster or any other talent for your corporate event or project, contact our Great British Talent agents via [email protected], or call us on +44 1753 439289. Alternatively, fill out our talent enquiry form here . We’ll aim to respond within the hour. Our knowledgeable team of experts can handle all aspects of your booking to ensure it runs flawlessly.

Type Of Speaker

Education Health & Wellbeing Men's Health Mental Health Resilience Speaker Virtual Speakers

More About Patrick Foster

Patrick Foster | His Story
A former professional cricketer, insurance broker, and independent schoolteacher, Patrick Foster appeared to have everything in place. Despite an idyllic upbringing and early success, he developed a pathological gambling addiction that consumed his life. By March 2018, he was on the verge of taking his own life. With the right help and incredible support, Patrick rebuilt his life from the ground up, gaining clarity about addiction and its profound impact on himself and those around him. That journey gave him a renewed sense of purpose: to use his lived experience to help others and support organisations in building open, compassionate, and connected cultures.

Patrick Foster hire former professional cricketer gambling addiction speaker book at agent Great British Speakers

The Message
In his talks, Patrick goes beyond sharing his personal story. He explores the broader impact of addiction and mental health struggles—not only on individuals but also on families, colleagues, and communities. He provides practical tools to recognise warning signs, support those who may be struggling, and foster environments where empathy and understanding thrive.

Patrick highlights the challenge organisations face in differentiating between everyday emotions such as stress or anxiety and deeper, more complex mental health issues. He stresses the importance of equipping people with the awareness and skills to recognise this difference, ensuring serious mental health conditions are treated with the attention and care they deserve.

Flipping the Narrative
Patrick also demonstrates how addiction can be reframed. While addiction often carries negative connotations, the traits that can fuel it—intensity, focus, ambition, and resilience—can, when channelled with self-awareness, become extraordinary strengths. Many successful people share this wiring, and learning to harness it positively can unlock remarkable purpose and potential.

Why It Matters
Mental health challenges do not discriminate. Privilege, success, and status offer no protection—pressure and expectation can make struggles even harder. Many who appear to be thriving are silently struggling beneath the surface. Through honest storytelling and lived experience, Patrick helps break stigma, build understanding, and create lasting change.

Collaboration & Purpose
Beyond speaking, Patrick is committed to supporting worthy causes and collaborating on projects that make a tangible difference. Organisations or CSR teams interested in meaningful partnerships that use lived experience as a force for good are invited to connect with him.

Patrick Foster find anti gambling addiction professional cricketer speaker book at agent Great British Speakers

Might Bite: The Secret Life of a Gambling Addict
Patrick is also the author of the bestselling book Might Bite: The Secret Life of a Gambling Addict, a brutally honest account of more than a decade living with a gambling addiction that nearly destroyed everything he cared about. The book exposes the hidden reality of addiction—the lies, the shame, and the isolation—while also offering hope and the possibility of recovery. Might Bite provides a raw, unfiltered look at how addiction takes hold and demonstrates that, with honesty and support, it is possible to rebuild a life of meaning, integrity, and purpose.

Call +44 1753 439 289 or email Great British Speakers today to book Patrick Foster or your corporate event.

Contact us

Testimonials

Thank you for your time yesterday. I have received some really positive feedback today from your session, and we have sent out the recording of the session to the whole company along with all the information you sent over yesterday. That was a moving and inspiring story as you have clearly turned your life around and it touched a lot of our staff. Yesterday was one of our highest number of attendees for our lunch and learns which is fantastic. It clearly shows the importance of your message and I am delighted you got it across to such a wide audience.
Chief of Staff @ Apollo Underwriting

Patrick Foster’s story is compelling and important. He holds every audience – whether younger pupils, sixth formers or parents – spellbound with the power of the message he conveys. Gambling addiction, and indeed all forms of addiction, are a very real risk for the pupils in our care. I think that we have made great strides in forewarning them and giving them protective factors through hearing his message. Top-notch INSET and PSHE, and a charming person to meet and have around the school for a day.
Headmaster, Eastbourne College

Patrick Foster’s talk on Addiction and Mental Health was truly eye-opening. His willingness to share his personal journey in such a raw and authentic way created a powerful and impactful session. It offered invaluable insights for anyone experiencing addiction and mental health issues, as well as for those who want to better support someone going through it. We left with practical ideas on how we, as an organisation, can do more to foster a culture where support is at the centre for anyone facing these challenges. Thank you, Patrick, for all that you are doing to raise awareness and support those who really need it—you are making such a difference.
Health, Wellbeing & Engagement Specialist, Peabody