In 2020, V.Group aims to combine flawless service delivery while highlighting the positive impact on seafarer wellbeing for our 44,000 crew members.

As well as being rewarding, life as a seafarer also has its challenges mentally and emotionally, with crew away from home for extended periods of time. Throughout 2020, we will be celebrating our seafarers and highlighting the ways we aim to enhance their mental and physical safety and wellbeing while at sea. V.Group offers a range of maritime support services, which in addition to delivering the highest standards of service, are centred around safety and crew wellbeing. These include:

• Provision of a range of mental health and wellbeing training solutions for seafarers, with flexible delivery, equipping crew with the skills they need to handle stress and anxiety and proactively manage their mental health.
• Insurance services which provide senior crew members with onshore health cover which extends to spouse and dependents.
• Healthy on board meals for seafarers, plus fitness and nutrition advice, encouraging crew to maintain a healthy lifestyle while on board.
• Responsive travel solutions, ensuring that crew travel arrangements take into account rest time, avoiding exhaustion and unnecessary stress.
• Internet connection for seafarers while on board, so they can stay connected to friends and family. 92% of seafarers rank the importance of internet connection on board above pay.

Matt Dunlop, Group HSEQ Director at V.Group, explains why wellbeing has never been more important: “The attitude towards physical, mental and emotional health in the maritime sector is rapidly changing and it is now widely viewed as an essential component of successfully and safely operating a ship. Putting wellbeing at the heart of our services means that our crew are in the best possible position to carry out their duties, allowing us to focus on fully leveraging our operating model to deliver better results for customers.”

In the coming weeks, we’ll be looking at our services in more detail and how they impact positively on crew wellbeing. “We believe that when you nurture and improve the wellbeing of seafarers, you lower the rate of accidents, you improve seafarer retention, and you increase the overall performance of the vessel,” says Matt. “Actively contributing to seafarer health and wellbeing is a win-win situation for our seafarers, for our customers, and for V.Group.”