Over the past decade, we’ve been proud to award grants from the Beryl Threadkell Legacy, bringing Roger and Beryl’s vision to life. Their generosity has supported seafarers across Suffolk, funding new kitchens for Sea Cadets, rescue boats for sailing clubs and improvements at the historic Sailors’ Reading Room.
When Captain Derek Peters MNM remembers Roger and Beryl Threadkell, what stands out is not the size of their legacy but the kind of people they were. “Roger always seemed to think carefully about what he was saying,” he says, smiling. “He was very clever, but very quiet.”
Roger, a Master Mariner who served with BP before becoming a Marine Superintendent, understood seafaring from the inside out. Later, he became closely involved in maritime welfare through The Seafarers’ Charity, serving as secretary to the local committee. His wife Beryl shared that same spirit of commitment. They understood that seafaring is not just about ships, but about people: families separated for long periods, moments of loneliness, and the small acts of care that make the hardest days more bearable. That understanding shaped the legacy they left behind.
Under Derek’s leadership as Chair of the Felixstowe committee responsible for stewarding the Beryl Threadkell Legacy, and with the careful oversight of Treasurer Captain Ashley Parker, the Port Master at Felixstowe, around £100,000 was carefully stewarded over roughly 12 years. In that time, the fund, held by the Seafarers’ Charity, delivered more than £155,000 in grants to maritime causes across Suffolk. With its final awards made this year, the fund is nearly spent out, an impressive lifespan and an extraordinary return.
The projects supported by the legacy were practical and rooted in local need. Funding helped the sea cadets secure a new kitchen and pulling boat, and the Felixstowe ferry sailing club received a new rescue boat, The Beryl T. The Ipswich Seafarers’ Centre improved its communications and Wi‑Fi, while Lowestoft benefited from new showers, changing facilities for fishers, and support for Lord Kitchener’s Home, a residential home with former seafarers among its residents.
One of Derek’s favourite examples is the Sailors’ Reading Room in Southwold, founded nearly 200 years ago as a place where seafarers could reconnect with the world after long periods at sea. The legacy helped fund improvements there too, preserving not only a building but a living piece of maritime heritage.
The legacy has also supported the Seafarers’ Centre within Felixstowe and the Haven Port Centre. Before Queen Victoria Seaman’s Rest (QVSR) took over the centre, the legacy funded the creation of a peaceful garden space, a quiet refuge from the constant activity of the port. Most recently, the legacy has helped provided funding towards a new boiler. Centre Manager Roy Thomas has seen its impact firsthand. “A boiler may not sound especially exciting,” he says, “but it is essential. It keeps the centre running.”
The projects supported by Roger and Beryl reflect who they were: unshowy, thoughtful, and grounded in real need. As Free Wills Month encourages people to consider the legacy they might one day leave, Roger and Beryl’s story is a powerful reminder that even a modest gift can have a lasting impact on seafarers’ lives, now and for years to come.
Make a Lasting Difference for Seafarers
Your legacy can support vital facilities, welfare services, and projects that improve the everyday lives of seafarers. Every gift, no matter the size, helps ensure that communities at sea and in port continue to thrive.
