Seafarers UK rebranding draws on heritage and global reach

Maritime funding body Seafarers UK has rebranded as The Seafarers' Charity in a move to better reflect its international work.

Chief executive Catherine Spencer said: '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.'

In 2020, 78% of main grants awarded were to support seafarers in the UK, 22% were for international work.

The charity has also launched a new strategy called 'Thrive' to reduce seafarer hardship by identifying the systemic problems that create adversity to tackle them at source.

Chair of the general council Paul Butterworth said the new focus would ensure The Seafarers' Charity is 'fit for purpose in the post-Covid world, which has demonstrated more abundantly than ever before, the world’s reliance on the seafarer.'

In a nod to its heritage, the charity has also reintroduced the use of the King George's Fund for Sailors via an insignia 'stamp', which it will use for branding. King George's Fund for Sailors was the original name of the charity on its launch following the First World War.