Seven maritime champions and a seafaring charity have been rewarded for providing exceptional commitment to seafarers and fishers after receiving the Merchant Navy Welfare Board’s (MNWB) Annual Award.
The coveted Annual Award for Services to Seafarers’ Welfare saw a record number of nominations this year as the awards were re-launched.
Five new categories were introduced to recognise more heroes across the maritime charity welfare sector.
Edward Watts received the inaugural Innovation Award for his work to develop the Mission to Seafarers scouting programme with Scouts Cymru. His vision was for the programme to look at all aspects of the maritime industry. The Mission to Seafarers worked with Scouts Cymru for two years to develop the programme and the initiative was launched at the Senedd in May 2022.
The Most Collaborative Organisation Award went to SAIL, a free advice service dedicated to all seafarers and their families across the UK, which has made a significant impact on the sector in recent years with an increased focus on collaborative working with the maritime welfare charities. SAIL’s engagement with the maritime welfare sector is further enhanced by their growing social media presence which keeps the sector informed of their work to support seafarers’ welfare.
Maria Dixon and Sam Cowan were named recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Before the pandemic, which ultimately raised the profile of mental health and wellbeing of seafarers, Maria was part of WISTA, Panama registry and many interest groups supporting the interests of seafarers. For a number of years Maria, who is the CEO of ISM Shipping Solutions, also assisted all those seafarers affected by the piracy and kidnap and ransom years of the misfortunes of seafarers along the Somali coast.
Sam has been a port chaplain with Seafarers’ Christian Friend Society for 25 years and makes onboard visits to a wide variety of vessels. He has been at the forefront of developing welfare services in Belfast for the sizeable crews that serve on these ships. He works both with groups of seafarers whom he encounters on the mess deck and with individuals who seek help with a wide range of welfare situations.
Port chaplains Frans Sahetapy and Joe O’Donnell were recognised in the Team Member of the Year category.
Frans has worked as port chaplain for Sailors’ Society for 20 years and is on call for seafarers day and night. Seafarers can call Frans anytime they need him, for welfare support including transport, MiFi units or in case of an emergency – and he is always there.
Joe has dedicated his life to serving others, demonstrating a profound commitment to supporting vulnerable people for over three decades. His remarkable work with Stella Maris, where he has served for the past nine years, underscores his exceptional capabilities as the Senior Area Port Chaplain for Scotland and Northern Ireland where he leads a team of five chaplains and 20 volunteers.
Meanwhile, Susan Newcombe and Vincent Bick were recipients of the Volunteer of the Year Award.
Vincent has been a trustee at Care Ashore for nearly six years and during that time he has given his time and commitment to the charity. During Covid lockdown, being local to the “Springbok Estate” he would visit regularly by walking his dog, keeping in touch with residents running errands and bringing joy and connectivity to their lives during uncertain times.
And Susan, since her retirement in 2016, has dedicated over 250 hours of her time to support our first major volunteering initiative, the MNWB Ambassador’s Programme which launched in early 2022. Susan’s contribution as our Volunteer Programme Consultant has been multifaceted and impactful. Her keen eye for detail and thorough understanding of procedural requirements have significantly improved the clarity and efficiency of our operations.
All eight recipients were announced at the MNWB’s flagship Port Welfare Conference awards ceremony last week (September 10) at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Liverpool which was attended by nearly 100 delegates.
They were awarded with an engraved trophy and a shopping voucher.
Stuart Rivers, CEO of the MNWB which is the umbrella charity for the UK Merchant Navy and Fishing Fleets which represents 46 constituent charity members, said:
“The stories of our award recipients are heartwarming.
“They are all so dedicated to the maritime sector and have given such unwavering commitment to seafarers and fishers over many years of service.”
“Huge congratulations to all recipients – they are truly deserving of the award.
This year the awards were sponsored by Atlantic Container Line.
The 2024 annual awards recipients
- Innovation Award: Edward Watts (Chair/Centre Manager of the Mission to Seafarers branch in Newport)
- Lifetime Achievement Award: Maria Dixon (CEO ISM Shipping Solutions) and Sam Cowan (Port Chaplain at Seafarers’ Christian Friends Society)
- Most Collaborative Organisation Award: SAIL
- Team Member of the Year: Joe O’Donnell (Senior Area Port Chaplain Stella Maris) and Frans Sahetapy (Port Chaplain at Sailors’ Society)
- Volunteer of the Year: Susan Newcombe (MNWB Volunteer consultant) and Vincent Bick (Chairman Care Ashore)
