Health & Wellbeing Community & Social Justice Free 2024
Merchant Navy Welfare Board (MNWB)

Annual Review 2024

The Merchant Navy Welfare Board is the UK's National Seafarers' Welfare Board, established in 1948 as the umbrella charity for the UK Merchant Navy and Fishing Fleets. In 2024 the Board coordinated 47 member charities and 15 Port Welfare Committees, delivered the MiFi internet access project to seafarers across UK ports, awarded vehicle and welfare grants, launched five new annual award categories, and received a transformative £3.4 million legacy from Mr Ronald Camp. Total income was £3.98 million and expenditure £1.17 million, with the legacy building reserves for future charitable activity.

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📋About

Grants and project funding to member charities; Port Welfare Committees; MiFi mobile internet hotspot programme for seafarers; port information leaflets; welfare training; EDI programme; Vehicle Replacement Programme; C188 online fishing welfare training

📊Key Metrics

47 member charities coordinated across the UK Merchant Navy and Fishing Fleets Key Metric 1
15 Port Welfare Committees active across the UK plus a Seafarers' Welfare Board in Gibraltar Key Metric 2
£3.4 million legacy received from Mr Ronald Camp — largest single gift in the charity's history Key Metric 3

✅Key Outcomes

  • 36 MiFi mobile hotspots distributed to port chaplains across the UK, reaching record data usage of nearly 9TB in a single month in 2024
  • £120,000 in vehicle grants awarded under the Vehicle Replacement Programme, funding 8 new vehicles for Stella Maris, Mission to Seafarers and Fishermen's Mission
  • First dedicated seafarers' welfare session held at the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Maritime and Ports; first National Port Welfare Forum established

📍Geography

UK-Wide

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