No images? Click here
December 2025
Dear Supporter,
Welcome to the December edition of Seapost, The Seafarers' Charity's e-newsletter! As the festive season approaches, we want to extend our heartfelt thanks for your continued support. Your generosity and commitment make a real difference in the lives of seafarers and their families.
In this edition, you’ll find exciting updates, inspiring stories, and ways to help us continue our work into 2026 and beyond.
Best wishes for a joyful holiday season,
Luca Selvaggio
Editor
While many of us celebrate with family and friends this festive season, thousands of seafarers remain far from home isolated, exhausted, and carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders.
For some, the loneliness and pressure at sea can become overwhelming. James, a seafarer, shared: “I’ve had enough and can’t do this anymore.” Thankfully, support was there when he needed it most.
This Christmas, your generosity can be the lifeline a seafarer desperately needs. Your donation helps provide urgent mental health support, crisis response, and vital wellbeing support to those who keep the world moving.
The Impact of Your Support in 2025
Together we have helped more than 400,000 beneficiaries. Thanks to the incredible support of our donors in 2025, we awarded more than £2.7m to 53 organisations making a difference to seafarers' lives. This grant funding supports some of the most well-known maritime charities, as well as several newcomers, around the world.
Each grant application is assessed against our five strategic outcomes that are focused on improving the safety and wellbeing of seafarers and their families. We work closely with our delivery partners to ensure your donations are making a true impact where the need is the greatest.
Securing the Future for Seafarers’ Children
The holidays are a time to be together, but kids in seafaring families can often spend Christmas with a parent on the other side of the world. Frequent moves, financial pressures, or the challenges of childcare can all create challenges. So Naval Children's Charity has spent more than 200 years making sure naval children are supported through crisis and in building confidence and skills for the future.
Thanks to a multi-year grant from The Peter Dixon Fund, launched by The Seafarers’ Charity last year, NCC is able to carry out vital work such as its Life Chances Programme.
Sea Views: Superyacht Safety Culture, Reporting & CHIRP
Is there really a strong safety culture on board yachts?
In this new episode, host Julia Gosling sits down with Paul Naranjo-Shepherd, Chair of the CHIRP Superyacht Board, to explore how confidential incident reporting is reshaping safety culture across the Superyacht Industry. From near misses and falls from height to lithium battery fires, manning levels, and harassment on board, this episode offers a straight-talking look at life at sea and what must change.
Paul also makes a direct appeal to yacht crew worldwide to share their stories and help drive industry change.
Harbours And Their Masters: A Five-Year Maritime Adventure
We’re delighted to feature our supporter, Mark Ashley-Miller, who sailed 9,000 nautical miles around the British Isles, visiting 310 harbours and meeting 256 Harbour Masters. With the help of 90 crew, he raised over £35,000 for The Seafarers’ Charity.
His journey and the stories are now captured in his book, Harbours And Their Masters, available in hardback and e-book. Packed with over 500 stunning photos, it’s perfect for sailors, history lovers and anyone curious about the vital work behind our harbours.
Buy the book using the link below and all proceedings will be donated to us.
Celebrating Our Ecosystem of Support: A Festive Gathering with Our Supporters
Last week, we were delighted to gather with our incredible supporters and donors for a festive afternoon celebrating the difference we’ve made, together, for seafarers and their families as 2025 draws to a close.
The event was a wonderful opportunity to express our gratitude, connect beyond our usual routines and enjoy the season together. We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation for generously hosting the event at their London HQ and sponsoring the occasion.
We are proud to partner with organisations like the Foundation, whose support for training bursaries at UK Sailing Academy (UKSA) is helping remove barriers for aspiring yacht crew and empowering the next generation of maritime professionals.
Thank you to everyone who joined us and continues to support our work! Thank you for being part of the Ecosystem of Support to seafarers with us, and we look forward to doing more together in 2026.
Season's greetings
As the year draws to a close, all of us at The Seafarers' Charity would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to our supporters, whose generosity helps make a positive impact on the lives of seafarers in need and their families. Your unwavering support has been invaluable, and we are deeply grateful for the difference you’ve made.
