Revd Andrew Wright, Secretary General, The Mission to Seafarers
The Mission to Seafarers will be the chosen charity for the GST & Shipping 2030 and Crew Connect Europe conferences
LONDON, 6 March 2018 – Maritime event organiser Knect365 Maritime has placed seafarer welfare at the heart of the future of shipping by choosing the Mission to Seafarers as its official charity for its forward-looking upcoming events GST & Shipping2030 Europe, 20-23 March in Copenhagen, and CrewConnect Europe featuring CruiseConnect Summit, 23-24 May in Hamburg. The partnership will not only support the Mission in its essential welfare work with seafarers around the globe, but will also place the seafarer front of mind during discussions about the decarbonisation, digitalisation and skills requirements of the industry.
The Reverend Canon Andrew Wright, Secretary General, The Mission to Seafarers commented: “It is so important that when the industry talks about digitalisation, connectivity, automation and sustainability – key topics at both GST & Shipping2030 and CrewConnect Europe featuring CruiseConnect Summit – it also talks about seafarers. Seafarers will be the ones facing the practical challenges of implementing the change needed to move towards a future-proofed and modernised shipping industry; and who currently face the challenges posed when life on-board fails to keep pace with modern, digital lifestyles. We must remember that a sustainable industry is not just about the environment, it’s also about recruiting, retaining, motivating and supporting the workforce that will keep the industry running.
“With this partnership, Knect 365 Maritime is showing seafarers both respect in including them in these far-reaching discussions and kindness in helping us support those in need. The Mission to Seafarers has seen many great improvements in the way the industry looks after seafarers. The nature of their work, however, means support will always be necessary and The Mission’s teams across the world still see significant levels of acute need. The Mission offers practical assistance to seafarers, from simple actions such as a phone card or a friend to speak to, to legal advocacy to free the imprisoned or abandoned. The attendees of both events can be proud that they are helping us to offer this unconditional support to seafarers around the world.”
At GST & Shipping2030 Europe, topics on the agenda include “What crew will be required for non-crewed autonomous vessels?”, “How does digital transformation affect the workforce?” and a panel discussion on “Crewing in the 21st Century.” CrewConnect Europe featuring CruiseConnect Summit will focus wholly on recruitment, training and welfare of seafarers in the digital age.
Donations collected at both events will help the Mission to continue their ongoing practical support of thousands of seafarers around the world every day. In 2017, the Mission visited over 300,000 seafarers aboard ships and supported 895 justice and welfare cases, including helping the crew of the Seaman Guard Ohio (and the Chennai Six) to secure their release from prison.
