£25,000 GRANT AWARDED FROM SEAFARERS UK

18 September 2017

Each year, SSAFA’s casework service addresses the welfare needs of over 35,000 veterans, their families and current service men and women, in local communities. Almost 3,500 professionally trained volunteer 'caseworkers' in SSAFA branches support members of the Armed Forces community across the country. The needs of our beneficiaries are becoming more complicated, requiring caseworkers to spend more time with clients to find solutions to their problems. This generous grant will support our volunteer caseworkers to address the multi-faceted needs of members of the Naval family, including a contribution to the cost of training volunteers.

This generous donation from Seafarers UK will make a massive difference to members of the Armed Forces family helped by SSAFA. Casework is a core part of SSAFA’s ongoing support system for the Forces community and is vital for reaching and helping beneficiaries in a tailored, effective way. Those who have served, or are serving in the Naval community, as well as their families, will benefit from this sum when in need. We are very grateful to Seafarers UK and looking forward to working in partnership moving forwards.

- Tegan Jones, Director of Fundraising, SSAFA, the Armed Forces Charity

SSAFA’s case working service is quite unique in the maritime welfare world – in terms of the support it provides, and leverages, to those in need as well as the sheer scale of beneficiaries reached in all areas of the UK.

- Deborah Layde, Director of Grants, Seafarers UK

Seafarers UK (formerly King George’s Fund for Sailors) is a charity that has been helping people in the maritime community for 100 years, by providing vital support to seafarers in need and their families. The charity does this by giving grants to organisations and projects that make a real difference to people’s lives, across the Merchant Navy, Fishing Fleets, Royal Navy and Royal Marines. Last year Seafarers UK gave grants totalling £2.5million to more than 70 charities, giving hope and help to more than 185,000 seafarers and their families.