Founded more than 200 years ago in 1818, Sailors’ Society are a Christian charity dedicated to caring for merchant seafarers: the 1.6 million men and women who keep the world’s economy moving.

Sailors’ Society chaplains and volunteers help hundreds of thousands of seafarers each year. They extend a hand of friendship, hospitality and pastoral care to everyone they meet, and offer practical help, like phone cards to connect with loved ones at home, the latest newsprint in many languages and access to Wi-Fi hotspots. They provide a wide spectrum of services – from chaplaincy and spiritual guidance to welfare support, access to education and financial help for those in desperate need.

The charity has also run wellness and mental health training and support since 2015, empowering more than 34,000 seafarers to take care of their own wellbeing to date. Through the charities Ship Connect initiative, chaplains make regular calls to ships to check in with crews, getting to know them and identifying any welfare issues early on. They build relationships with them through confidential group and one-to-one chats and sharing advice on how to deal with common mental health problems.