02 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | December 2016
NAUTILUS AT WORK
Nautilus Council member Iain MacKenzie represented the Merchant Navy at the Cenotaph service in London
General secretary Mark Dickinson with former deputy general secretary Peter McEwen at the MN memorial in London Picture: Andrew Wiard
Nautilus joins tributes to MN victims of war and staff joined last month’s F Remembrance Day tributes to the Nautilus members, officials
Captain Val Plant and Nautilus official Micky Smith at Belfast Cenotaph
Weymouth memorial is unveiled
merchant seafarers who have lost their lives in wartime. A service and wreath-laying ceremony was held on Friday 11 November at the Union’s Mariners’ Park Estate, and on Remembrance Sunday general secretary Mark Dickinson laid a wreath during a ceremony at the Merchant Navy Memorial in Tower Hill London, while former deputy general secretary Peter McEwen placed a tribute on behalf of the Seafarers’ Hospital Service. Council member and Caledonian MacBrayne master Iain MacKenzie represented the Merchant Navy at the national service of remembrance
in Whitehall. He laid a wreath at the Cenotaph on behalf of the Merchant Navy and fishing fleets and said it was a ‘humbling experience that will stay with me forever’. Capt MacKenzie said he felt privileged and honoured to represent the MN and to pay a personal tribute to his great-grandfather, Alexander MacKenzie, who was one of the victims onboard the Admiralty yacht Iolaire, which sank off the Isle of Lewis in January 1919 carrying sailors from the First World War back home. Council member Captain Michael Lloyd, Captain Angus MacPherson of Foreland Shipping, and Captain Michael Kinkaid, a Deeside liaison officer, attended the Westminster Abbey service along with senior national secretary Allan Graveson.
Foreland Shipping master Captain Angus MacPherson with his wife at the Westminster Abbey service in London
Chief officer Anthony Newton led the Royal Fleet Auxiliary contingent for the Royal Albert Hall and Cenotaph commemorations in London
Care home praised Official inspection report gives glowing ratings to Nautilus welfare centre
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Nautilus Council members have congratulated the Union’s care home staff after they were given a glowing report by a national welfare watchdog. The Mariners’ Park Care Home, which accommodates 32 residents, underwent a two-day unannounced inspection by Quality Care Commission (QCC) in October. The commission’s subsequent report, published last month, gives a ‘good’ rating to the service provided to former Merchant Navy seafarers and their dependants — with high praise for the safe, effective, caring, responsive,
Paul Compton is pictured F above at a ceremony to unveil a
Staff and residents at the Mariners’ Park remembrance service
and well-led work at the centre. ‘Staff we spoke with had a good understanding and knowledge of people’s individual care needs,’ the report notes. ‘We observed that people were treated with dignity and respect and support was provided in a kind and caring manner.’ The QCC said residents at the care home had ‘a very high standard of accommodation’. And the report quoted one relative who had commented on the excellent care and said ‘the nurses involved were a credit to their profession’. Nautilus assistant general secretary Ronnie Cunningham told Council: ‘No one should
under-estimate how good this report is, and members should be very proud and pleased about the standard of service provided — especially when you see some of the problems in the wider care sector. General secretary Mark Dickinson said the report underlined the ‘cradle to the grave’ support given by Nautilus to its members and trustee director John Lang said staff should be commended for such a ‘great success story’. z Nautilus Council members also approved proposals to appoint an additional caseworker to look after the welfare needs of retired seafarers and their families. The
Nautilus Welfare Fund presently has caseworkers based in Wallasey, Hull and Southampton and Mr Cunningham told the meeting that they have had a significant impact. ‘They have done a remarkable job in finding ex-seafarers and assisting them in being able to claim all of the statutory benefits that they are entitled to,’ he added. Over the past six months, the three existing caseworkers have helped 182 former seafarers to recover almost £229,000 in benefits and grants,’ he said. The new post will be based in Glasgow, with effect from January 2017.
Nautilus member Captain
new Merchant Navy war memorial in Weymouth last month. Capt Compton is chairman of the Weymouth and Portland branch of the Merchant Navy Association which campaigned for 18 months to raise almost £30,000 get a 3,000-signature petition to have the memorial — which is carved from Portland stone — installed on the Esplanade. Former Nautilus deputy general secretary Peter McEwen represented the Union at the commemoration service. Before the 5-tonne memorial was hoisted into position, a silver coin minted from the bullion cargo of a sunken World War Two merchant ship was placed under its plinth.
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Award for 40 years of dedicated service longest-serving staff members A has been praised for her dedication
One of Nautilus International’s
and loyalty to the Union. Membership and research administrator Karen Jones — pictured right with her husband Cliff, who is part of the Mariners’ Park Estate maintenance team — was presented with a 40-year long service award by assistant general secretary Ronnie Cunningham. Born and bred in Wallasey, Karen started work in 1976 as a secretary in the Union’s northern office in her home town, and during her career has worked in recruitment, research and membership services. Presenting the award, Mr
Cunningham said Karen had been the first person he met when he started work with the Union more than 20 years ago. ‘Karen is very much the face of Nautilus, and has a vast range of qualities — doing her work in a highly professional manner,’ he said. ‘Karen is not only highly reliable and dependable, she knows everything and is always extremely member-focused, giving the best standards of service and support,’ he added. ‘Her loyalty to the Union and its members is intense and characterised by her dedicated service over the past four decades,’ he said.
Call for app to access benefits develop an app to improve F members’ access to the benefits and Nautilus International should
services offered by the Union, Council members suggested last month. The call came during a meeting to consider the findings of the 2015 membership survey and to examine ideas for enhancing the package of deals and discounts for members. Head of strategic development Steven Gosling said the survey had shown that deals and discounts are valuable but were low on the list of reasons for membership. Assistant general secretary Ronnie Cunningham pointed out that it is possible to save more than the cost of annual subscriptions by taking advantage of some of the offers. Joe Bowry said the Union should establish an app — not just to provide simpler access to discounts and deals, but also to the full range of services and support for members. Nautilus should also analyse the take-up of the deals and focus on the most popular, he suggested. Jessica Tyson said the take-up of the benefits and services would be improved if they were made more specialist and relevant to members. Mr Gosling said the survey had shown a clear demand for such services as low-cost SIM cards, seafarer-friendly mortgages, and airport lounges. Phil Lees said discounts on training courses would be very welcome — especially for the many members who have to fund their own training, and at a time when the STCW amendments have introduced additional requirements.
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