The 19th century philanthropists who founded the Seamen’s (now Seafarers) Hospital Society were motivated above all by the desire to improve the lives of seafarers. The Society was set up in 1821 to solve the ‘problem’ of thousands of unemployed and sick seamen begging on the streets of London after the Napoleonic Wars. The idea … Continued

The Seafarers Hospital Society (SHS) and Yale University are collaborating on a landmark study to determine the effectiveness of initiatives taken by shipping companies, charities and the wider maritime sector to keep seafarers healthy and safe.  This six-month study aims to review existing research and recommendations, identify current practices, determine their coverage across the industry … Continued

The SHS Newsletter is a new digital publication launched in December 2020. It follows in the footsteps of the SHS Quarterly Magazine which ran for 10 years until the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939. Like its predecessor, it is published four times a year and includes updates of our work in the … Continued

The Seafarers Hospital Society is 200 years old today and celebrated with a virtual tea party including cake and candles. Undeterred by the Covid-19 pandemic, CEO Sandra Welch brought staff and trustees together on zoom for a cup of tea and a slice of birthday cake. “We wanted to mark the occasion and what could … Continued

The SHS is one of the world’s oldest maritime charities. Its new CEO, Sandra Welch, explains its role. The Society is best known for the Dreadnought, strictly speaking just the second of three hospital ships that, from 1821, provided medical services off Greenwich for merchant seafarers until the work ‘came ashore’ in 1870 into the … Continued

25th October 2018 SeaFit joins forces with local NHS to launch dedicated health trainer service for East Yorkshire Coast fishermen and their families Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust, together with maritime charities the Seafarers Hospital Society and the Fishermen’s Mission are launching a dedicated health trainer service that aims to improve … Continued