UK Chamber of Shipping announces new Charity Membership

The UK Chamber of Shipping has today launched a new membership category for the industry’s charities. It aims to increase the profile of the charity members, who in the past have been categorised with the Chamber’s other 40 Associate members.

Three charities have signed up to the new membership category. Being a Charity member allows the organisation to utilise the network of the Chamber, engage with other members at all levels and share content through the Chamber’s communications network, helping raise their profile and strengthen the voice of the UK’s Shipping industry whilst paying a discounted rate. 

The three charities are:

Mission to Seafarers

Day and night, The Mission to Seafarers is on call for seafarers in over 200 ports around the world. With over 90% of world trade carried by sea, providing work to 1.5 million seafarers, they offer much needed practical, emotional and spiritual support through ship-visits, their seafarers’ centres and a range of welfare and emergency support services. All of which is made possible through their global network of chaplains, staff and volunteers. The charity is able to carry out its vital work through generous donations from its friends, supporters and the wider maritime industry.

Their mission is to care for the shipping industry’s most important asset: its people.

Seafarers UK

Seafarers UK has been helping people in the maritime community for more than 100 years, by providing vital support to seafarers in need and their families, and to those in education or training who are preparing to work or serve at sea. The charity does this by giving grants to organisations and projects that make a real difference to people’s lives, across the Merchant Navy, Fishing Fleets, Royal Navy and Royal Marines. Last year, Seafarers UK gave grants totalling more than £2 million to over 50 charities, organisations and projects. Seafarers UK receives no government funding and to maintain its annual grant-making programme is heavily dependent on public donations, legacies and corporate support including participation in events.

Stella Maris

Stella Maris is a global network of over 1,000 chaplains and volunteers in 334 ports spread across 59 countries. Each year this remarkable team conducts around 70,000 ship visits to provide welfare services, advice, friendship, practical and pastoral care to all seafarers, regardless of nationality, belief or race. It is the largest ship-visiting charity in the world.

Stella Maris provides a friendly face in a foreign land, someone the seafarer can trust, speak to and confide in.  Working in partnership with the corporate sector, they play a crucial role in boosting seafarers’ morale, well-being and mental health.

Tony Jerome, Head of Membership & Business Development at the UK Chamber of Shipping said:

“It was felt the important role charities play in the sector and our organisation could be better promoted by having their own category. It is important we support our sector’s charities and include them in the ‘voice of the UK Shipping’ industry.

“We are delighted to have Mission to Seafarers, Seafarers UK and Stella Maris on board. We hope to raise the profile of these charities at our future events, help them share their great work through our communications and bring them together to work on joint initiatives in the future. We know the coronavirus has had a major impact on charities, but we believe that is even more of a reason to be part of a wider, collective network and association at such a critical time. We hope more charities will sign-up soon to enhance this Charity membership category even further”.

Author: Sue Terpilowski

Executive Editor of SeaNews