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February 2026
Dear Supporter,
Welcome to the February edition of Seapost, The Seafarers' Charity's e-newsletter. We’re so grateful for your continued support and we’ve packed this edition with exciting updates and ways you can make a real difference to seafarers' lives. We hope you enjoy reading it!
Best wishes,
Luca Selvaggio
Editor
Thousands of seafarers work at sea every day to keep global trade moving, yet many face financial hardship, isolation, and tough working conditions. With Payroll Giving, your donation comes straight from your gross salary:
Basic-Rate Taxpayer (20% tax rate): If you donate £10 per month, you save 20% in tax relief (£2), so the actual cost to you is £8.
Higher-Rate Taxpayer (40% tax rate): If you donate £10 per month, you save 40% in tax relief (£4), making the actual cost to you just £6.
We are proud funders of maritime welfare initiatives, helping seafarers and their families access financial support, mental health services, and safety resources. Regular payroll donations allow us to plan ahead and continue this vital work all year.
Payroll giving is an easy and effective way UK taxpayers can contribute to the ecosystem of support for seafarers, allowing them and their families to live free from hardship. Signing up is simple: if your employer has a Payroll Giving scheme, just choose The Seafarers’ Charity. If they don’t, encourage them to join. We’re happy to guide them.
All That Separates Us Is Distance: Film on Fishing Safety
The International Fund for Fishing Safety (IFFS), which our charity administers, is making a real difference, funding practical, local projects that save lives, from lifejacket schemes and emergency training to vessel audits and hazard reporting systems.
Now a new documentary “All that separates us is distance,” commissioned by Lloyd's Register Foundation and featuring the work of the IFFS, brings audiences closer to fishers’ families and communities in Ghana, Indonesia, and the UK.
It tells the stories of Emmanuel, Dede, and James, highlighting the shared challenges, resilience and connections that define life at sea.
Call for Volunteers – Diabetes Study
If you’re a seafarer with insulin-treated diabetes or know someone who is, you could play a crucial role in helping unlock new opportunities for those who work at sea.
Modern glucose-monitoring technologies have improved a person's ability to control their blood sugar, and this may have a significant impact for seafarers with diabetes who currently work under restrictions.
We are proud to support a year-long study to assess the effectiveness of these devices, led by the University of Surrey. Now we are calling for participants!
The study is looking for insulin-dependent seafarers working at sea with a valid ENG1 or ML5 certificate.
To find out more or sign up for the study, please go to the Glucose Watch study website or contact the study organiser, Dr Fariba Shojaee-Moradie at the University of Surrey: f.shojaee-moradie@surrey.ac.uk
Uncrewed Surface Vessels Explained: Safety, Jobs and the Future of USVs
In this episode of Sea Views, Julia Gosling and Adam Parnell sit down with Simon Adams, founder of The USV Group, for a clear, operational look at uncrewed surface vessels and what is actually happening on the water today.
This is a straight-talking conversation that cuts through the hype around autonomy and explains how USVs are really being used, how they are regulated and what this shift means for safety, skills and the future maritime workforce.
From remote operations and human oversight to environmental gains, offshore survey, subsea infrastructure, defence and surveillance, this episode explores where USVs already deliver value and where the limits still are.
Sea Views podcast is supported by CHIRP Maritime and funded by The Seafarers’ Charity.
Strengthening Skills for a Safer South African Fishing Fleet
Fishers are among the seafarers most at risk at sea. Ensuring vessels are safely built, inspected, and certified is vital to protect their lives.
We are proud to partner with the University of Southampton’s Wolfson Unit MTIA and the Northeast Centre for Occupational Health and Safety on the two-year project “Upskilling maritime professionals in South Africa towards a safer fishing fleet”, funded by Lloyd's Register Foundation as part of its 'Engineering a Safer World' funding opportunity.
The project will pilot a new accredited course for local maritime professionals, combining classroom learning, simulations, and mock inspections, enabling trainees to carry out basic stability appraisals of fishing vessels.
While it starts in South Africa, a feasibility study will explore expansion across southern Africa.
Celebrating Stella Maris: Supporting Seafarers Across the Globe
Stella Maris, one of our funded partners and the world’s largest ship-visiting charity, has teams in 350 ports across 60 countries and makes 70,000 ship visits each year, providing essentials, emotional support, and crisis response when crews need it most.
They were the charity partner at this year’s UK Chamber of Shipping Annual Dinner. While in London for the occasion, Jonathan Heard (Deputy Director, International Programmes), Eugene Barsukov (Programme Director, Stella Maris Ukraine), and Fr. Oleksandr Smerechynskyy (National Director, Stella Maris Ukraine) visited our offices on 3 February to meet the team and present a plaque in gratitude for our support. We were also delighted to give them certificates recognising their invaluable contribution to seafarers’ welfare and helping seafarers thrive.
This visit also reminded us of last year, when their planned visit was sadly cancelled due to the tragic passing of their colleague, Rostyslav ‘Rostik’ Inzhestoikov (photo on the right), assistant port chaplain of Stella Maris in Odesa. We honour Rostik’s memory and remarkable legacy.
Happy LGBT+ History Month! 🌈
At The Seafarers’ Charity, we are committed to a diverse and inclusive maritime sector where every seafarer feels safe, seen, and supported. Coming out at work is deeply personal, which is why we’ve developed our Coming Out Toolkit, a resource to support LGBT+ staff and help colleagues become better allies.
We proudly align with Maritime UK’s Diversity in Maritime Pledge and continue to champion LGBT+ rights across the maritime sector. By fostering an inclusive culture at sea and ashore, providing practical resources, and encouraging allyship, we aim to ensure every seafarer feels respected, valued and able to thrive regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation.
