The UK P&I Club, one of the leading providers of P&I insurance and other services to the international shipping community, has once again shown its commitment to seafarer welfare through funding Sailors’ Society’s Crisis Response Network.
Announced ahead of World Maritime Day tomorrow (Thursday September 29), the Club’s contribution will fund the costs of two trained crisis responders. They will provide vital counselling and ongoing care to seafarers, their families and companies following a traumatic incident such as abandonment, accident, ambush or natural disaster.
Maritime charity Sailors’ Society’s Crisis Response Network is a free service, operated by 37 trained crisis responders around the world.
Patrick Ryan, Sustainability Director and Head of Club Secretariat at The UK P&I Club, said: “The UK P&I Club is delighted to be working with Sailors’ Society and contributing towards this important service.
“Although a great deal of effort is put in to avoid accidents and other traumatising events, and to look after seafarers’ mental health more generally, it is vital to ensure that proper support is in place for seafarers if and when they do need it. Sailors’ Society’s Crisis Response Network provides seafarers with the very support they might need, 24/7 all year round.”
The service, which receives additional support from The TK Foundation and The Seafarers’ Charity, has been running for seven years and also assists with raising awareness of mental health, stress and trauma, as well as providing suicide prevention training and coping techniques.
In 2021, the Crisis Response Network dealt with more than 100 cases assisting almost 1,000 seafarers, with piracy the dominant issue. The majority of cases so far in 2022 have been due to abandonment, bereavement, accident and ill health.
Sara Baade, Sailors’ Society’s CEO, said: “We offer frontline trauma care, supporting survivors’ physical and mental recovery and rehabilitation, ultimately helping them to reintegrate into their communities and back into their jobs. Unfortunately, threats such as piracy, abandonment and accident are a reality for the modern-day seafarer but Sailors’ Society’s Crisis Response Network is there to help, whenever and whatever the crisis.
“We’re extremely grateful to The UK P&I Club for their generous support, enabling this vital service to be there for seafarers in their times of greatest need.”
A recent case concerned a second officer whose mental health had deteriorated and was suffering suicidal thoughts as a result. The ship was not due to dock for at least a week and the crew were deeply concerned for their colleague. The Crisis Response Network was contacted and counselled the officer and his crewmates until they arrived in port and could receive further help from the local health authorities.
Source: Hellenic Shipping News
