Swire Pacific Offshore (SPO) has donated $25,000 (USD) to maritime charity Sailors’ Society, demonstrating its continued commitment to supporting seafarers in need.

The funds will go towards Sailors’ Society’s work around the world, with half dedicated to the charity’s work in the Philippines, where most recently it has been rolling out mental health awareness, family resiliency workshops and pre-departure seminar modules for seafarers and families.

Sara Baade, Sailors’ Society’s CEO said: “In these tough times, it is particularly important that we continue our support to seafarers and their families. The pandemic has impacted massively on the mental health and finances of so many and we’ve seen a huge increase in calls for help. Between January and October 2020, we gave out 12 times the number of welfare grants than we did the previous year. We’re really grateful to SPO for recognising the importance of investing in support for the maritime community’s most vulnerable, especially in these challenging times.”

The onset of COVID-19 has brought extra pressures to merchant seafarers, preventing many from returning home and forcing them to work months over their original contracts. Others have been unable to start their contracts and have had incomes decimated as a result.

Peter Langslow, Managing Director, SPO said: “SPO has a longstanding partnership with Sailors’ Society and has collaborated with the charity on several key programmes to support seafarers and their communities. The pandemic’s impact on seafarers has been as great, if not greater than on any other group, and many seafarers continue to endure extended duty periods because of crew change challenges, as well as economic impact. This donation from SPO serves as a strong pledge of support to these critical workers, and we recognise the fine work that Sailors’ Society does to support them.”

The marine service provider is a long-term partner of Sailors’ Society and is currently working with the charity to roll out its award-winning Wellness at Sea programme to care for the mental health and wellbeing of its crew members.

Through Anscor Swire Ship Management Corporation Dependants’ Association (ASSMDA), an independent not-for-profit organisation to support the dependents of ASSM seafarers, SPO provided sponsorship for the launch of two Seafarers’ Drop-In Medical Centres in Bantayan Island and Palo Palo (Leyte) in the Philippines in 2017 following the catastrophic Typhoon Haiyan in 2013. Employees from SPO raised funds to support victims of the disaster and donated to Sailors’ Society to provide long-term physical and community support for seafarers and their communities. SPO has also supported ASSMDA’s partnership with Sailors’ Society to provide a school library boat service for seafaring communities in Bantayan Island, Philippines. SPO employees have actively participated in fundraising challenges led by Sailors’ Society including the charity climb of Mount Kinabalu, Mount Fansipan and the Great Wall of China. A recent personal fundraising effort in support of Sailors’ Society and two other charities was initiated by three SPO seafarers who jogged 200 miles around their hotel rooms while in quarantine in Equatorial Guinea.

To find out more about Sailors’ Society’s work or about partnering with the charity, visit: www.sailors-society.org