ITF Seafarers' Trust
 | |
| Founded | 1981 |
|---|---|
| Type | Charity |
| Registration no. | 281936 |
| Location |
|
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people |
Dave Heindel, SIU, Chair of Trustees David Cockroft, Secretary John McLeod, Administrator |
| Mission | Seafarers' Welfare |
| Website | http://www.seafarerstrust.org |
The ITF Seafarers' Trust is a charitable trust charity located in London, England, whose stated mission is to assist with "the moral, spiritual and physical welfare of seafarers regardless of nationality, race or creed."[1]
History
The ITF Seafarers' Trust was established by the ITF Executive Board in 1981 as a body with charitable status under UK law.[1] Its funding comes from the investment income of the ITF Seafarers' International Welfare Assistance and Protection Fund and from capital funds held by the Trust itself. The Trust, as a charity, supports projects that provide benefit to seafarers' moral, spiritual and physical welfare.[1]
Facts and figures
Since its launch in 1981, the Trust has provided some US$200m to support seafarers' welfare around the world. Nautilus took part in a seminar in London to discuss the best ways of serving seafarers in the future – and in particular when the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 comes into effect.
ITF former general secretary David Cockroft told the meeting that the Trust had originally been seen as something of a ‘minibus jackpot’ for organisations seeking grants to provide shore-based transport for seafarers visiting ports – but it was now a sophisticated and effective organisation that coordinated global work to meet the complex welfare needs of seafarers.[2]
The Maritime Piracy Humanitarian Response Programme (MPHRP) is a programme to help seafarers and families cope with the physical and mental trauma caused by torture and abuse at the hands of pirates launches today in London, England, funded by the ITF Seafarers' Trust.
Funded by the ITF Seafarers' Trust charity and the TK Foundation, and chaired by Peter Swift, formerly MD of industry body INTERTANKO, the new programme speaks for an alliance of shipowners, trade unions, managers, manning agents, insurers and welfare associations representing the entire shipping industry, from crews to owners.
Its mission is to aid seafarers who have been or may be subject to pirate attack. Somali-based pirates now regularly treat hostage seafarers with extreme violence in order to put pressure on their families and/or employers to expedite their ransom demands. This includes phoning family members and making the seafarer plead for his life while he is abused and threatened with death, and filming this and posting it online for relatives to see.
He concluded: "We have already been listening to seafarers and recording their experiences. Those will lay the foundation for new guides for seafarers, families and employers, for training in their use, and for building the networks of human and medical help that are now desperately needed."[3]
Seafarers worldwide will benefit from the first phone application launched by the Seafarers’ Trust, the charitable arm of the ITF. John McLeod, administrator of the Seafarers’ Trust, said: “We are delighted to launch this important new service for seafarers, which will help them get the help or information they need more easily.
“Shore Leave is a free, offline app that allows seafarers to store in their smartphones contact details of all the seafarers’ centres around the world. In just a few clicks, seafarers will be able to call the nearest mission for assistance or the SeafarerHelp line for more serious issues. Or they can simply use the app to find information about the Seafarers’ Trust and the International Committee on Seafarers’ Welfare (ICSW), the organisation providing the database of seafarers’ centres.”[4]
Thimio Mitropoulos KCMG, IMO Segretary-General Emeritus, is the Patron of the ITF Seafarers' Trust.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Liz, Goodwin (24 November 2011). "Donations announced by Seafarers’ Trust". fishnewseu.com Fish News European Union website. Retrieved 7 February 2011.
- ↑ "Nautilus helps mark ITF welfare anniversary". Nautilus on 28 March 2012. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
- ↑ "Piracy victims receive help 30 September 2011". Safety4Sea. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
- ↑ "Seafarers Trust launches first phone app".
External links
- Official website
- Guides for shipping companies to support seafarers and families affected by piracy; Seafarers’ Trust announces latest donations at The Seafarer Times / Seamen News Portal (for Filipino sailors)