Helping Others | Shipping Professionals Network London SPNL

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is the latest buzz word to which increasingly more and more companies are getting attentive.

Although SPNL is run ‘part-time’ by a team of young shipping professionals – all with demanding ‘day jobs’ in their respective careers – it is important to recognize one’s responsibility to act in socially responsible manner and contribute to society wherever practicably possible.

There is no single universally accepted definition of corporate social responsibility, it has generally come to mean business decision making linked to ethical values, legal compliance, and respect for people, community, and environment. In the context of SPNL, CSR expects a company to go further than required by law so as to

operate with integrity and in an ethical manner in all its business dealings with customer, suppliers, lenders, and others
sustain the environment for future generations
be a responsible neighbour in the community and a good ‘corporate citizen’.

CSR principles are of growing importance to governments and service providers as they promise to meet challenges of social problems within changing welfare environments.

In addition to the regular networking events, seeking to empower young shipping professionals by building up their contact base amongst peers, exposure to industry leaders and staying current with topical issues…

SPNL is proud to have been actively associated with HELPING OTHERS in the three following ways:

Education Campaign

The SPNL is centred around being a platform for young shipping professionals. In line with this, we appreciate that the young shipping professionals of tomorrow also need to be supported. To support these “professional in waiting” we have created SPNL prizes for top students as well as dedicating slots to students for our annual educational port visits.

OSCAR Campaign (Great Ormond Street children’s hospital)

The OSCAR Campaign has now raised over a quarter of a million pounds towards its GBP500,000 initial target since April. Thank you all of you who have donated, helped to promote OSCAR and given encouragement and ideas.

If you don´t already know how shipping is raising money for children´s hospital Great Ormond Street, take a look at the OSCAR website www.gosh.org/oscar. To watch the short TV film made about Oscar´s story visit www.gosh.org/oscars-story.

Great Ormond Street saves the lives of some of the world´s sickest children every day. Patients come to the hospital from all over the world but particularly from Greece, Cyprus, Kuwait, UAE and Saudi Arabia.

To get involved with the OSCAR Campaign, to make a donation or simply for a chat to find out more, contact Spinnaker´s Phil Parry ( pparry@shippingjobs.com / +44 1702 480142) or Louise Taylor at Great Ormond Street Hospital Children´s Charity ( louise.taylor@gosh.org / +44 207 239 3098).

About the OSCAR Campaign. The OSCAR (Ocean and Shipping Community Advancing Children’s Health and Research) campaign is an innovative fundraising partnership uniting the International Shipping Community under a philanthropic banner to raise significant funds towards areas of urgent need at Great Ormond Street Hospital and its research partner, the UCL Institute of Child Health.
The campaign is the inspiration of Phil Parry, Chairman of Spinnaker Consulting Ltd, whose son Oscar received lifesaving care at the Great Ormond Street Hospital. The campaign represents a unique opportunity to bring together companies and individuals from across the shipping community to create a shared legacy, delivering tangible support to help advance pioneering medicine for children around the world.

SEAFARER WELFARE

The Difference Made By the Mission To Seafarers

Day and night, the Mission is on call for seafarers in 250 ports worldwide for the world’s 1.3 million seafers. Seafarers seek our assistance because all too often they have nowhere else to turn. When a seafarer is…

shipwrecked and has lost everything, the Mission is there with clothes, food, accommodation, safe refuge and that vital phone call home.
injured and alone in a foreign hospital our staff visit him, offer support and liaise with his family.
stranded without pay, with no food, money or ticket home, the MtS provides for him and helps with embassy, legal and immigration issues.
taken hostage by pirates the MtS liaises with his family and is there to offer counselling and post-trauma care for him when he is released.
not paid by his company after many months at sea, the Mission helps negotiate with his employers and arrange legal or union advice.
denied shore leave and unable to make contact with his family our ship-visitors take internet-linked laptops, phone cards and newspapers on board.
on a short turnaround in port with barely any time ashore, our staff transport them to Flying Angel Clubs where they can socialise, have meals, contact their families and enjoy a break from their ship.

SPNL Chairman, Claudio Chiste, with Nicky Wynne, Director of Development for the Mission To SeafarersSPNL Chairman, Claudio Chiste, with Nicky Wynne, Director of Development for the Mission To Seafarers, shortly after the recent SPNL fund raising effort (in collaboration with Bibby Ship Management) which raised £400 towards the Philippines typhoon disaster.

SUPPORT THE MISSION

For any further info on in relation to General Info, Media Enquiry, Corporate Support, Fundraising or making a donation, please visit www.missiontoseafarers.org or phone the Supporter Hotline on 0300-555-1505.