May 2024

Dear Supporter,

Welcome to the May edition of Seapost, The Seafarers' Charity's e-newsletter. We're excited to share our latest updates with you.

As we approach the 80th anniversary of D-Day, we highlight the importance of recognising and supporting our seafaring veterans. Our SeaVets Appeal honours their sacrifices, and with a generous donor match-funding all donations up to £10,000, your contributions will have double the impact.

On Sunday, 12 May, we marked the first National Fishing Remembrance Day, a new annual event dedicated to honouring those who lost their lives in the fishing industry. Local remembrance services were held across the UK, reminding us of the need to continue improving safety standards at sea. On 16 May, we also held a special evening event to mark the first National Fishing Remembrance Day onboard the Cutty Sark in Maritime Greenwich to share the inspiring story of the Headscarf Revolutionaries.

We are delighted to announce that our funded project, Fishing Animateur, won the “Service Provider of the Year” Award at this year's Fishing News Awards. Their efforts have been instrumental in helping UK fishers secure government grants.

Several maritime charities, including The Seafarers' Charity, have joined forces to promote Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) by delivering workshops across the UK. These workshops aim to tackle prejudices and unconscious biases, fostering an inclusive work environment.

With this edition, we also invite you or anyone you think might be interested in joining our 24 Peaks Challenge on 6-7 July to elevate your impact and support our mission of improving seafarers' lives.

Finally, if you missed our webinar on Psychological Safety at Sea, it's now available to watch on the Nautical Institute's YouTube channel. This important discussion explored the challenges faced by women working at sea and how to create safer workplaces.

We sincerely appreciate your unwavering support and hope you enjoy reading this edition of Seapost.

Best wishes,

Luca Selvaggio
Editor

Our seafaring veterans deserve more recognition and support

As we approach the 80th anniversary of the historic D-Day, it remains imperative to commend the sacrifices made by our valiant seafaring veterans who helped secure our freedom and pledge our continuing support to seafarers, past, present, and future.

Sadly, many veterans face financial difficulties, health issues, and other challenges post-service.  Since 1917, we have been dedicated to supporting these heroes and their families. By contributing to The Seafarers’ Charity’s SeaVets Appeal, you will be honouring the legacy of the D-Day veterans and directly impacting the lives of many veterans.

Thanks to a generous donor, all donations up to £10,000 will be match-funded, essentially every pound you donate will be doubled!

Together, we can provide seafaring veterans in need with the support they deserve.

First National Fishing Remembrance Day Honours Lives Lost at Sea

Sunday 12 May marked the inaugural National Fishing Remembrance Day, a new annual event dedicated to honouring those who lost their lives while working in the fishing industry. The day served as a poignant reminder of the perils faced while fishing at sea and the need to continue to improve safety standards in the sector.

Maritime charities, The Seafarers’ Charity, Fishermen’s Mission, and Stella Maris joined forces to develop and support this new event. The first-ever National Fishing Remembrance Day saw many local remembrance services held at fishing memorials across the UK, from Wick in northern Scotland to Milford Haven in Wales, from Grimsby and Newlyn in England to Kilkeel in Northern Ireland, as well as Guernsey and Jersey in the Channel Islands, where communities gathered to pay their respects.

Thank you to everyone who got involved. Next year's National Fishing Remembrance Day will be on Sunday, 11 May 2025.

Congratulations to Fishing Animateur for winning the “Service Provider of the Year” Fishing News Award

We're delighted that our two funded projects were nominated at this year's Fishing News Awards. Fishing Animateur and Commsave Credit Union have collaborated closely, providing a near-seamless service to support fishers in accessing government grants.

Fishing Animateur won the “Service Provider of the Year” Award. With over 80% of applications for the Fisheries and Seafood Scheme attributed to their efforts, their incredible team has played a pivotal role in helping UK fishers secure government grants.

Commsave Credit Union received a nomination for the "Initiative of the Year" Award. Since our partnership was forged two years ago, they have delivered affordable financial services to more than 60 fishing families. A big round of applause for the great work of both our funded projects!