At The Seafarers’ Charity, we welcome and celebrate all groups irrespective of their background and identity. Seafaring is international in nature and consists of seafarers from many different countries and cultures. We recognise the great diversity of those who work at sea and are committed to ensuring that we hear and understand the welfare needs of those with different opinions and experiences.
In 2020, The Seafarers’ Charity established an internal staff-led EDI group (the Diversity Group) who are given the time to come together to discuss and educate all staff on matters of race, nationality, gender, sexuality, disability, and mental health. The Diversity Group regularly shares activities, videos and training materials at staff team meetings which enable us all to engage in debate and discussion on different topics. In doing so, we challenge our thinking to ensure that we remain aware of different people's lived experiences and how pre-existing systemic issues impact diverse groups.
Our EDI journey: 2019 to present
We began collecting baseline data on governance of maritime welfare charities in accordance with Principle 6 of the Charity Governance Code
February 2020
We began offering grants of £5,000 to support and enable maritime welfare charities to carry out an independent external review of their organisational governance.
April 2020
We awarded the first £5,000 grant for an external review of organisational governance.
June 2020
Following the death of George Floyd, the Leadership Team supported staff to set up an EDI working group (the Diversity group) as a way of pooling our ideas, experiences and thoughts about what more we as individuals, and our charity as an organisation, could do in the fight for racial justice and for diversity, equity, equality and inclusion more broadly.
August 2020
The Diversity group held their first meeting on 5 August 2020 followed by regular monthly meetings. The Diversity Group now have a regular bi-monthly meeting schedule.
We held a webinar for beneficiaries to share the charity’s new grant-making strategy and explain why we are focusing on good governance and diversity.
May 2021
First appointment of Mental Health First Aider within staff team.
We recruited Kian Goodsell from the 2027 Programme - a programme which aims to diversify grantmaking by 2027.
November 2021
The organisational policy statement was updated to an EDI policy which includes all forms of diversity and the intersectionality between them.
January 2022
We developed information on ‘Mental Health and its Impact on Different Communities’ to understand the intersectionality of mental health on different communities - a live working document.
We held a staff training session on Mental Health Awareness delivered by Equality and Diversity UK.
February 2022
Kian Goodsell represented The Seafarers’ Charity on the panel at the Maritime UK Pride in Maritime Day (28 February).
March 2022
We awarded grant funding to Fighting with Pride and for Women in Cargo Ships research.
July 2022
Our staff took part in the London Pride Parade with Maritime UK and others on 2 July 2022. We sponsored the Pride t-shirts for the participants who joined the parade with us.
We developed a Coming Out Toolkit which has been shared widely within the maritime sector and beyond.
The Seafarers’ Charity applied for and completed a panel interview to become a Diversity in Maritime Charter Organisation.
- We developed and delivered a collaborative Equity, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EEDI) presentation at the Maritime Charities Group Conference.
- We designed and distributed Diversity in Maritime badges.
- We shared a list of books around diversity in delegate packs at the Conference.
We recruited Mtonya Jarrett, our second 2027 Associate. The 2027 programme aims to diversify grantmaking by 2027.
Deborah Layde, The Seafarers' Charity CEO was announced as the new Chair of the Women in Maritime Network.
October 2022
- We held a staff team lunch ‘n’ learn for Black History Month.
- We shared a list of activities and books around Black History.
Our staff took part in a guided Black History Walk in London - walking from St. Paul's to Bank.
January 2023
- We held a staff team lunch ‘n’ learn around disability.
- We shared a list of activities, films and books around disability.
January 2023
Second appointment of Mental Health First Aider within staff team.
March 2023
- On 1 March, we held a staff team lunch 'n' learn around Fairtrade.
- We tasted different Fairtrade products.
March 2023
The work of our EDI team was recognised at the Maritime UK Awards 2023 where we were among the finalists for the Diversity and Inclusion Champion Award.
We began collaborating with the All Aboard Alliance which has been established by the Global Maritime Forum to bring together senior leaders from the maritime industry to improve EDI. The most recent meeting focused on sexual violence at sea and also bias/discrimination.
We were shortlisted for the Safety4Sea's Crew Welfare Diversity & Inclusion Award for focusing on the welfare needs of women on cargo ships.
On Wednesday 20th April 2023, The Seafarers’ Charity and the International Christian Maritime Association held a webinar to begin the discussion on what more can maritime welfare charities do to support the safety and welfare needs of women working at sea.
May 2023
- On 25 May, we held a staff team lunch ‘n’ learn around Windrush.
- We shared a list of activities, films and books around Windrush.
August 2023
- On 30 August, we organised a lunch-n-learn session for South Asian Heritage Month to honour the rich heritage of people with roots in South Asian countries and celebrate the contributions these communities have made to the UK as well as their continuing impact.
- We shared a list of South Asian books.
September 2023
On 11 September, we organised a Lunch 'n' Learn to explore what makes an organisation feel inclusive. We had a constructive discussion on how to improve meeting accessibility and brainstormed ideas for making these sessions more inclusive and engaging for all. As a follow-up, we plan to send out a staff survey to gather further insights and ideas from our team members.
September 2023
During London International Shipping Week (LISW) we attended the Ethnicity in Maritime Roundtable and were lucky to hear a presentation from Surgeon Commander Manish Tayal MBE who shared his experiences of Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) in the Royal Navy.
October 2023
To mark Black History Month, our staff had a very educational walk with Black History Walks learning about Sarah Parker Remond, John Henry Smythe, Learie Constantine, Una Marson, and Harold Moody, who all contributed so much to our diverse & varied history which is often not known Black History.
We also shared a list of books about black history.
In celebration of World Menopause Day, we shared ideas about what some organisations are doing to create a Menopause-Friendly Workplace, highlighting the importance of supporting women through this natural life phase.
We recruited Hamim Islam from the 2027 Programme - a programme which aims to diversify grantmaking by 2027.
'I wholeheartedly thank The Seafarers’ Charity for the opportunity to start my grant-making journey through the 2027 programme. The Charity’s commitment to inclusivity and diversity has made it the most diversity-embracing employer I've experienced across three countries.' - Hamim Islam, 2027 Impact Associate
November 2023
On 8 November, we attended an Effective Communication training, led by Eileen Browne, a training consultant at the Directory of Social Change. During the training, we focused on gaining insights into various communication styles and the art of active listening.
January 2024
On 16 January, Dr. Lateesha Osborne from The Diversity Trust delivered the "It's about Race" training at our offices which was also attended by members of other organisations. An opportunity for thought-provoking conversations and language awareness around Race.
January 2024
On 24 January, Professor Carole Davis, Menopause Hub Lead at Maritime UK, conducted a Menopause Workshop for The Seafarers' Charity team. It sparked discussions on creating a Menopause-Friendly Workplace, emphasising the importance of supporting women through this natural life phase.
March 2024
On 5 March, we enjoyed a lunch 'n' learn session around UNESCO’s International Mother Language Day, created in 1999. It is within UNESCO’s mandate for peace that it works to preserve the differences in cultures and languages that foster tolerance and respect for others. It was also interesting to learn more about the many mother tongue languages spoken by our diverse staff team.
April 2024
On 17 April, our EDI team organised a lunch 'n' learn session dedicated to discussing "Inspiring Women." We shared stories and insights about women who have inspired us, whether they were personal acquaintances, famous figures, or individuals encountered along life's journey. Each participant had the opportunity to present briefly, either with a slide showcasing a picture and reasons for inspiration or by sharing anecdotes about their chosen woman.
May 2024
On 21 May, we enjoyed a lunch 'n' learn session reflecting on the IMO's International Day for Women in Maritime.
Tina Barnes, our Impact Director, delivered a brilliant presentation about the experiences of women in the maritime industry. It was an eye-opening and thought-provoking session that highlighted the hardships women face at sea. We also discussed the incredible organisations we fund that are conducting research, raising awareness, and providing support for women in maritime.
June 2024
On June 12, our EDI team hosted a quiz during our Lunch and Learn session about Refugees and Asylum Seekers. This event offered valuable insights into their challenges, current laws, and statistics. It sparked thought-provoking discussions and revealed many interesting facts.
On the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition we remember the victims and will continue to play our part in working with partners to raise awareness of modern day slavery at sea in the UK and globally and urge relevant organisations to do more to protect fishers and seafarers.
As Audrey Azoulay, Director General of UNESCO said: 'It is time to abolish human exploitation once and for all, and to recognize the equal and unconditional dignity of each and every individual. Today, let us remember the victims and freedom fighters of the past so that they may inspire future generations to build just societies.'
September 2024
On 25 September, our EDI team hosted an insightful Black History Walk, expertly guided by Tony Warner from Black History Walks. We were honoured to be joined by colleagues from the Royal Navy and Maritime UK for an enriching day of learning. Special thanks to Tony for sharing his extensive knowledge and offering us a different perspective on our shared history.
We have amended our charity’s GDPR and EDI policies to further solidify the rights of all our staff members. We have developed a 'Mental Health and How It Affects Different Communities' document which is a live working document that is updated as needed. In addition, we have developed and reinforced a ‘Coming Out Toolkit’ which is given to staff upon their induction. We are aware that members of the LGBT+ community may feel apprehensive to start a new job and feel the pressure to either disclose or not disclose their gender and/or sexual identity. As a result, this document reminds our LGBT+ staff that they have the agency to decide if they would like to disclose this information. This toolkit also ensures that staff who are non-members of the LGBT+ community use their allyship. This will help to continue to make the workspace a safe and supportive environment.
EDI going beyond The Seafarers' Charity
We have formed a working group with other maritime charities to collaboratively take forward an approach to supporting and promoting greater equity, equality, diversity and inclusion within the governance of maritime welfare charities. There is a lot of research evidence about how diversity in governance contributes to diversity of thought and aids improved performance.