Yotspot Donates £1000 for Superyacht Support Hub
Stepping up and donating £1000 at any other time would have been hard enough but when Yotspot HQ heard that ISWAN were raising funds to create a much-needed, dedicated online support hub for superyacht crew … pandemic or no pandemic … we knew we had to help!
ISWAN need to raise £20,000 to build Yacht Crew Help – a new online toolkit specifically designed for superyacht crew. So they can access help and support 24/7, when they’re finding life hard and need someone to talk to. The service will include a free direct line, with 24-hour emotional support, guidance and access to useful mental health and welfare resources from across the globe.
The online hub will specifically:
- Signpost organisations and help available
- Catalogue the port-based facilities available
- Provide guidance on issues affecting crew, including mental well-being
International Seafarers’ Welfare and Assistance Network (ISWAN) is a membership organisation which does a lot of work to promote and support the welfare of seafarers all over the world. When I last checked they were 63% of target, with fantastic support from over 160 supporters but they need more help to reach their goal.
Yotspot Director Daryl explained “this is a subject extremely close to our hearts. Having worked on yachts ourselves, we know that working away from family and friends can be very difficult. Having posted contact details for ISWAN on our social media in the past, we became aware of this fundraiser and knew it was something we wanted to get involved. Giving back to the industry and the crew who use our services every day. Both Steve and I were shocked to see how many suicides there were in the industry last year, so we hope that by donating and promoting the cause will go some way to helping Yacht Crew Help get off the ground quicker and prevent more tragedy within the industry.”
Together with maritime people specialists Faststream recruitment here at Yotspot we’ve recently conducted our own survey, collating responses from over 1,200 superyacht crew, of all ranks, getting their insights into the realities of local markets as well as global trends. The soon to be released results will deliver a representative view of trends and opportunities in employment in the superyacht industry, from right across the globe.
We know that crew experiences aboard superyachts can swing from absolute dream job to intensely stressful and challenging. Depending on the vessel, how it’s run, the mental well-being of the crew, the expertise of those running the yacht and how seriously crew welfare is taken.
Especially in these unprecedented times with quarantine isolation, concern for loved ones, social distancing, travel restrictions and an uncertain season ahead, factors like long working hours, close proximity to strangers, work-related stress, missing loved ones and job security can take their toll on a crew member’s mental health and well-being.
Even before the pandemic, ISWAN recent survey findings reported:
- 80% of female respondents vs 54% of males reported suffering 1+ episodes of work-related stress
- 82% respondents admitted to low crew morale sometimes, often or always
- 55% of femal respondents found accessing mental healthcare either occasional or regular challenge (compared with 28% men)
We felt it was crucial we support ISWAN in their quest to make sure male and female crew on superyachts can easily access the right support, when they need it, from wherever they might be in the world.
If you’re able to donate anything, however large or small, we would be hugely grateful and then ISWAN can get closer to getting this much needed online crew support hub up and running. Just visit https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/yachtcrewhelp
To find more about The International Seafarers’ Welfare and Assistance Network visit ISWAN
Thank you.
Yotspot Team