Projects

creation and delivery

MNWB Welfare Projects

MNWB creates, operates and administers numerous projects to benefit seafarers’ welfare. In doing so it helps its Constituent Member organisations provide important welfare services, promotes the work of its Port Welfare Committees and provides welfare services itself. Whether it has been a short-term project providing Ukrainian seafarers with free SIM cards – with a generous data allowance – to allow them to contact their loved ones; ongoing programmes such as the MiFi project to provide seafarers visiting UK ports with free access to the internet; through to the long-term Vehicle Replacement Programme – which has been running over 15 years now – our aim remains the same: to improve welfare provision to seafarers.

Scroll down to view our recent and ongoing projects.

Ambassador Project

The Ambassador programme was created to reach out to our constituent member organisations, in order to strengthen the ties between us.  The Board’s ambassadors – Neil Atkinson, Gordon Foot, Capt. Stephen Gudgeon, Paul Hayes and Capt. Martin Phipps – are undertaking a programme of visits and presentations, all designed to promote and profile the work of the Board.

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UK Port Welfare MiFi Partnership Project

The UK Port Welfare MiFi Partnership project is jointly funded by the Department for Transport, Trinity House and ourselves.  It was initially created back in April 2019 and has recently been renewed for another year, with funding in place to see the project through to July 2024.  The project provides 38 mobile internet hot-spots that can be taken on board ships to allow the crew to download or stream films/TV, contact their family and friends or simply catch up on what is happening in the world.  Each device comes with unlimited data each month and allows 10-15 people to log-on at a time.  The devices are spread throughout the UK with representatives of the participating welfare societies – Aberdeen Seafarers’ Centre, The Fishermen’s Mission, Liverpool Seafarers’ Centre, The Mission to Seafarers, Queen Victoria Seamen’s Rest (QVSR), Sailors’ Society and Stella Maris – and have proved to be a popular addition for both seafarers and the ship visitors.

Vehicle Replacement Programme (VRP)

The maritime funding charities recognise the importance of seafarers’ centres and Port Chaplains having access to safe and reliable vehicles in order to deliver much needed port welfare services. As a result, the now annual vehicle replacement project, having started in 2008, gives substantial grants to help voluntary organisations purchase new vehicles. The project enables welfare personnel to undertake ship and home visits as well as transporting seafarers in and around the ports. The programme helps replace minibuses, MPVs and cars that remain essential to the provision of welfare services to our seafarers.  In 2023 the programme was funded by TK Foundation, Trinity House and MNWB; while funding for 2024 is courtesy of the Department for Transport and ourselves.

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) Pilot Project

This pilot project is to raise awareness of EDI issues within the maritime charity sector – and is jointly funded by The Seafarers’ Charity, Trinity House and MNWB. The project was launched at the MNWB conference in November 2023 by Deborah Layde, The Seafarers’ Charity (pictured) and Sandra Welch, Seafarers’ Hospital Society. The project involves running workshops at various Port Welfare Committee (PWC) meetings throughout the year to look at both the welfare charities themselves and how individuals can best communicate with others outside their own identity group.