International Seafarers' Welfare & Assistance Network

Who we are

About International Seafarers’ Welfare & Assistance Network

We are an international maritime charity working to improve the lives of seafarers and their families with services, resources, strategies and advocacy.

Welfare services and facilities both on board and ashore can be a lifeline for seafarers, who often experience long periods away from family and friends with limited or no communication, fast turnaround in ports with restricted or no shore leave, reduced crew numbers and increased workloads. We operate two free, confidential, 24/7/365, multilingual helplines providing help and support to seafarers and their families around the world – SeafarerHelp and Yacht Crew Help.

Based in the UK, we also have staff working in India and the Philippines to provide humanitarian support in these regions. We administer a number of relief funds to provide financial support to seafarers and their families in crisis or with urgent needs.

We work to drive change within the maritime industry for better health and wellbeing amongst seafarers, identifying areas of need to inform new projects and research. We currently provide Maritime Mental Health Awareness training for those in the industry who work with or support seafarers.