No images? Click here ![]() Welcome to our June 2021 newsletter. We do hope you enjoy reading about our achievements – please do let us know what you think and what else you’d like to hear about.The summer is nearly here again and Covid-19 continues to impact the world. While we in the UK are beginning to see lockdown restrictions easing, seafarers remain caught up in this crisis with some unable to disembark for months on end because of global travel restrictions linked to the pandemic. These seafarers are sometimes working far beyond the end of their contracts - in some cases for 12 months or more with no guaranteed end in sight - resulting in an estimated 200,000 seafarers trapped at sea. Interventions have been undertaken by the International Maritime Organisation and the International Labour Organisation among others to address the conditions. Sadly, the situation shows little sign of abating, and its impact on seafarers’ rights and their mental and physical wellbeing remains a cause for concern. ![]() OUR CORE VALUES In March we celebrated our 200th birthday with a virtual tea party for staff and trustees. We are also celebrating the core values that underpin our work and which have remained unchanged since 1821. They are:
![]() Last time we looked in depth at inclusivity and non-discrimination. In this edition of the newsletter we take a closer look at what we mean by being ‘responsive’.![]() We are responsive and reactive to problems faced by seafarers and their families including: ![]() Illness and disease
![]() Access to healthcare
![]() Financial problems and uncertainty of employment
To find out more Read more about our history here and follow us on Twitter and Linkedin for regular updates. ![]() MEETING OUR MISSION IN 2021 ![]() In our bicentenary year, we constantly strive to meet our mission, which is to ‘Look after the health and welfare of seafarers and their families‘ by adapting and modifying our service provision, being flexible and responsive to needs, and forming symbiotic partnerships to improve seafarers’ welfare and wellbeing. ![]() Prestigious New Research Project with Yale University SHS and Yale University are collaborating on a landmark study to determine the effectiveness of initiatives taken by shipping companies, charities and the wider maritime sector to keep seafarers healthy and safe. The study will be led by Martin Slade, Director of Research, Yale Occupational & Environmental Medicine and Director of Yale University Maritime Research Center. This six-month study aims to review existing research and recommendations, identify current practices, determine their coverage across the industry and assess their perceived effectiveness. Results of the study will be disseminated to the global seafarer community to encourage the adoption of best practice and improve seafarer health, safety and wellbeing. Independent global charity Lloyd’s Register Foundation (the Foundation), which has a mission to engineer a safer world, is also working on the project to provide support and expertise in evidence collection with a specific focus on mental health and wellbeing. The Foundation will be hosting two virtual round table meetings on Tuesday 29th June and Thursday 15th July, where shipping companies, policy makers and maritime welfare organisations can share their perspectives on seafarers’ mental health and wellbeing. Topics will include training, living conditions, interpersonal factors and work demands. ![]() For more information about the study, email Sandra Welch or call 0739 299 8964 For more information about the forthcoming round table events email Olivia Swift or call 0797 170 1196 Our work in numbers: Q1 2021 In the first quarter of 2021 we continued to provide support to seafarers in need. ![]() Togetherall ![]() Physiotherapy grants ![]() SAIL ![]() SHS Grants
![]() Dreadnought Medical Service The priority service remains on hold but they are taking referrals. Please note that, due to Covid, there is a significant waiting list for treatment. To find out more about what is and isn’t available from the Society at any time, call the office on 020 8858 3696 or email admin@seahospital.org.uk ![]() SHS GRANTS Life can be unpredictable. No matter how carefully you plan, unexpected changes in circumstances, sudden illness, or the loss of someone you love can all cause financial and emotional distress. On top of that, the Covid pandemic has affected our beneficiary group and their dependants particularly hard. Demand for hardship grants has continued to increase and the level of support provided to merchant navy seafarers and fishers has continued to rise in response. ![]() In the first quarter of 2021 we awarded 156 grants to the value £85,858.89. Of those, 49 grants were Covid-related. These were mainly for general living expenses and totalled £23,779.08. The chart shows the breakdown of grants awarded. Type and % of grants awarded ![]() Thanks for grants awarded: “We received both the payments for the Gas and Electric and are extremely grateful. Please pass on our thanks.” “The caseworker told us the good news of a kind donation to me and my family from you. I would like to say thank you so much!” ![]() ![]() With funding from SHS, Greenwich Hospital and the Seafarers’ Charity, SAIL continues to provide a vital service to seafarers. During the first quarter of 2021 SAIL advised 540 individuals, including 339 new clients and raised £666,567 on their behalf. During the same period SAIL dealt with 1,701 new issues and undertook 8,301 actions for clients. ![]() ![]() SHS is proud to be associated with the SeaFit Programme and all that it has achieved over the past two years. Through our partnership with The Fishermen’s Mission and Seafarers UK (now the Seafarers Charity) we have achieved tangible improvements in the health and wellbeing of fishers and their families and established a blue print for the delivery of health and wellbeing services to this hard to reach group. At the same time the SeaFit brand has become established and trusted within the fishing community and is now recognised in fishing ports throughout the UK. We have also begun to influence health and wellbeing policy makers and service providers, and look forward to seeing the lessons learnt from the Programme translated into planning for future provision. Here is a summary of what’s been achieved and what we’ve learnt. ![]() Quayside services work best for fishers Evidence from the SeaFit Programme shows that fishers are more likely to seek help to improve their health and wellbeing when services are taken to them at the quayside. Thanks to its holistic health and wellbeing approach, SeaFit has empowered fishers to change their behaviour and make positive lifestyle choices, as they realise the importance of looking after their own health and wellbeing. ![]() Quantifiable improvements in health and wellbeing The positive impact of the various projects associated with the Programme, from healthy lifestyle advice and support, to dental treatment and counselling, is unquestionable. Our health provider partners and the fishers themselves have highlighted clear-cut health benefits, with many fishers reporting quantifiable improvements in their health and wellbeing over the period of the Programme. ![]() Foundations in place for cultural change The SeaFit Programme has also begun to lay down a strong foundation for culture change among a hard to reach, predominantly male, workforce. Fishers and family members who received support are benefiting from better health and are encouraging their peers and fellow crew members to seek advice or treatment. It is hoped that this will in turn lead to more uninterrupted hours at sea and increased earning capacity, which is particularly important given the uncertainty arising from Brexit. A healthier fishing fleet results in, less stress, fewer accidents, less time off, less financial hardship and a longer career at sea. ![]() Reaching local communities In the past two years SeaFit has delivered much-needed services to hundreds of fishers and their families through a range of interventions across several locations around the UK. They include:
In response to Covid SeaFit has adapted to:
![]() SeaFit Reach at a Glance ![]() Over 4000 interactions with fishermen and their families. Healthy Lifestyle Advisors engaged with 1754 people and conducted 516 Healthy Lifestyle Checks. 495 people received Dental Treatment & Advice. Health Checks at Events 328. Physio Network 14 physios recruited, 819 free sessions for 204 fishermen. 355 Mental Health counselling sessions, engaging with 700 people. Health Events in 18 ports over 48 days. Parcels of Kindness 383 food parcels delivered. Services Used A small sample survey looked at what services were being used, with over 50% of respondents engaging with either the health checks or mental health support. ![]() Health Events taken place in: Scotland - Peterhead (3 days), Troon (6 days), Northern Ireland - Kilkeel (2 days), Ardglass (1 day), Portavogie (1 day), Cornwall - Newlyn (7 days), Mevagissey (5 day), Hayle (1 day), Newquay (3 days), Padstow (3 day), Cadwith, Coverack (1 day) Looe (2 days), Ilfracombe (1 day Devon - Brixham (4 days), Plymouth (4 days) E. Yorkshire - Bridlington (2 days) Dorset - Poole (2 days) ![]() Responding to Covid During the Coronavirus pandemic SeaFit services had to be modified. Instead of face to face advice and treatment, we offered telephone and video advice and support and this was very well received. We also adapted the service to respond to local need and partnered with others to get public health messages out to the fishing community. We received requests from the NHS to use the SeaFit logo on social distancing posters at ports, as Seafit is a trusted brand; some harbour masters approached our Healthy Lifestyle Advisors to reinforce public health messaging around social distancing, Covid testing and staying safe on the quayside; and the Programme was asked by the NHS to support the delivery of Covid-19 vaccinations for migrant fishers. There are thought to be more 1200 migrant fishers in the UK. Many would be eligible for the vaccine but are not registered with a GP and are at risk of slipping through the vaccination net. Through the SeaFit programme SHS and The Fishermen’s Mission have been working closely with several NHS Health providers to make contact with this hard-to-reach group. ![]() Looking to the future The SeaFit Programme has come to the end of the initial two year project which was funded by the Seafarers Charity (formerly Seafarers UK). The good news is that SHS and The Fishermen’s Mission are now jointly funding key aspects of the project until the end of 2021. This includes:
To find out more about any aspect of our work, call the office on 020 8858 3696 or email admin@seahospital.org.uk |