EDITORIAL
From the Bridge While it is prudent to maintain a vigilant watch on one’s own navigation from the Bridge, one should
Commodore Barry Bryant CVO RN Director General Seafarers UK
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F L AG S H I P
occasionally visit the Flag Bridge (for older readers!) or perhaps the Ops Room to see how our own ship is contributing to the Task Force. Our Task Force is of course the whole maritime and ex-Service charity sector, and I thought I should use this bulletin to explain just how Seafarers UK works with and for many other players for the greater good of all our beneficiaries. Some may say ‘Why don’t they just stick to fundraising and grant-making?’ but I hope to convince you that there are many ways that those vital parts of our business are enhanced by working together with others. First of all there’s the Maritime Charities Funding Group (MCFG), a unique and relatively informal partnership of the main UK players involved in funding, namely Seafarers UK, Trinity House, Nautilus UK, Merchant Navy Welfare Board, RN&RM Charity, and Seamen’s Hospital Society. Over the last few years we have co-funded a major research programme into the many generic problems of our sector, hosted two major conferences, and initiated some very effective projects to improve the quality of life of our beneficiaries and the effectiveness of our overall service. From 2012 onwards, Seafarers UK will hold the chairmanship of the MCFG and will ensure that this innovative work continues. Perhaps our second most important contribution is representing the maritime sector on the Board of COBSEO (the Confederation of Service and ex-Service Organisations, now known more familiarly as the Confederation of Service Charities). Here we sit with the other major ex-Service players such as The Royal British Legion and SSAFA, the Army and RAF Benevolent Funds, and specialists such as Combat Stress and BLESMA. By working together through the common focus of a remarkably energetic Chairman, the relationship with major Departments of State has improved immeasurably; not just with the MoD but arguably, for veterans, with more
S P RIN G 2012
“Some may say ‘Why don’t they just stick to fundraising and grantmaking?’ but I hope to convince you that there are many ways that those vital parts of our business are enhanced by working together with others.”
important Ministries such as Health and Work & Pensions. Sometimes the work is collegiate and positive, sometimes a more direct line has to be taken, but there is no doubt that the veterans’ voice is now much more of a force to be reckoned with across Whitehall. It was the collective strength of COBSEO that convinced the Big Lottery Fund to recently invest the sum of £35m into veterans’ welfare. Specifically they wished to address the psychological well-being of those who had served, particularly during their subsequent transition back to civilian life. Thus COBSEO, with the help of some specific expertise within Seafarers UK, proposed and founded the Forces in Mind Trust (FIMT), which is just beginning to make grants of some £3-4 million per year on research and other projects. Already this work has attracted the close interest of the Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry which wants to work with the Trust, and we look forward to similar attractive partnerships from external organisations. Again, Seafarers UK is pleased to have board membership of the FIMT. It is perhaps worth mentioning that Seafarers UK staff also carry out certain ‘backoffice’ and administrative operations for all three organisations mentioned above, including