Maritime Charities Group conference programme announced

The Maritime Charities Group conference is scheduled for Tuesday 6 September at Trinity House and will include keynote speeches from Maritime Minister, Robert Courts MP, and Stephanie Draper, CEO of Bond, the UK’s international development network. Other speakers include senior figures from the charitable sector, the shipping industry and academia.

“The Maritime Charities Group (MCG) conference 2022 is a must for anyone involved in maritime welfare – and after 3 years’ absence, this year’s event is going to be better than ever,” says Commander Graham Hockley LVO RN, Chairman of MCG (pictured left).

“The theme is ‘Collaboration in a Time of Crisis’. It’s all about sharing learning and ideas, developing new skills and, most important of all, networking face-to-face, which is why this is an in-person conference only. We’ll be covering all the critical topics affecting seafarers, including Covid-19, the Ukraine crisis, and equality, diversity and inclusion with top-class speakers in every session.”

The conference format will vary through the day, with a mix of breakout sessions, expert panels, and a range of workshops for hands-on learning. Meeting with colleagues and making new connections is a key focus for the event.

“The covid pandemic really restricted our ability to meet with others and we lost so much as a result,” Cdr Hockley explains. “So, for the first time, this year we are also hosting an evening for delegates the night before the conference for reconnecting with old friends and colleagues, making new contacts and sharing stories, before getting down to work the next day.”

You can register for a place at the conference, choose your workshops, and sign up for the evening’s networking and talk via the website.

The MCG fosters collaboration across the maritime charity sector to achieve the greatest impact for seafarers and their families. It does this by sharing information, commissioning research, supporting the education and welfare of seafarers and their families, and by the promotion of best practice within the maritime charity sector.