On the release of its new strategy in March 2021, Seafarers UK announced that its working name will now be ‘The Seafarers’ Charity’ and will reference its heritage by using ‘King George’s Fund for Sailors’ within its brand. The Seafarers’ Charity has been the UK’s national maritime charity since 1917 and is still officially registered with the Charity Commission as the ‘King George’s Fund for Sailors’.
The new strategy, 'Thrive', aims to identify and tackle the root causes of hardship and disadvantage to seafarers, and is supported by a short film, which features the President of The Seafarers’ Charity, HRH Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex KG, GCVO.
A strong evolution
Catherine Spencer, Chief Executive Officer of The Seafarers’ Charity, said, “The Seafarers’ Charity is a strong evolution from Seafarers UK. We’re proud of the grant funding we provide nationally within the United Kingdom, and the support we have long provided to international seafarers, particularly in the Commonwealth.”
“The Seafarers’ Charity reflects our global outlook. We have added the word ‘charity’ to make what we do, and where we work, clearer. Our results-driven new strategy, 'Thrive', will continue to support seafarers in the UK and internationally as we have done since we were founded, and we’ll find new ways of working to tackle disadvantage at the source.”
Supporting seafarers
We must ensure that we can attract fundraising, to support the maritime welfare
Paul Butterworth MNI, Partner and Head of the Maritime & Shipping Practice at Odgers Berndston, and Chair of the Charity’s General Council, said, “The Seafarers’ Charity plays a leading national – and increasingly international – role supporting seafarers and their families.”
“We must ensure that we can attract fundraising, to support the maritime welfare sector and work faster to address the root causes of disadvantage.”
“Our evolved name along with our new strategy will enable the wider maritime sector to better understand how we can work together, with a range of industry and charity partners, to improve outcomes for seafarers, which are so often out-of-sight and therefore out-of-mind.”
The new strategy
The brand refresh supports The Seafarers’ Charity’s new strategy, Thrive. An outcomes-focused approach for strengthening support to seafarers. The Seafarers’ Charity will focus on five specific strategic outcomes, to create long-term and sustainable improvement, which will guide its work and grant awards:
- Enhanced Financial Resilience
- Better Working Lives at Sea
- Improved Health and Well-being
- Raised Safety Standards and Practices
- Increased Social Justice
Innovation and collaboration
The Seafarers’ Charity will continue to fund many of its long-term delivery partners
The Seafarers’ Charity will continue to fund many of its long-term delivery partners but will seek innovation and collaboration to tackle issues at source.
The Seafarers’ Charity provides grant funding for welfare interventions to charities and organizations that support seafarers who are disadvantaged and experiencing hardship due to working at sea.
Traditional grants with funding, collaboration, research, and advocacy will create change, to work towards an environment in which seafarers thrive.
Identifying systemic problems
The Seafarers’ Charity aims to reduce need by working with delivery partners to identify the systemic problems that create adversity and tackle them at source.
The new approach is outcomes-focused and will ask more of everyone currently involved in providing grant funded welfare services for seafarers to create real and meaningful change.