Over the Christmas holidays, it’s customary to exchange gifts with the important people in your life to show you care about them. This year GTMaritime decided, in lieu of traditional gifts, to make donations to three fantastic charities – each with a maritime connection – behalf of our customers and resellers. This year’s recipients were:
Sailors’ Society: One of largest charities of its kind, the Sailors’ Society supports seafarers and their families at home, in port and at sea. It has projects and services spanning some 30 countries, all working towards improving seafarer wellbeing practically and emotionally.
Mercy Ships: A faith-based international development organisation that operates the world’s largest hospital ship. With a team of more than 400 volunteer medics onboard, Mercy Ships provides humanitarian aid like free health care, community health education, mental health programs to some of the world’s poorest countries.
The Big Blue Ocean Cleanup: An environmental group that helps local communities around the world organise beach clean-ups that reduce the amount of plastic and other waste ending up in the oceans where it damages delicate ecosystems and threatens marine wildlife.
To include our customers in the decision-making process we asked them, and our resellers which of the three charities they most wanted us to support on their behalf. (And, for those that didn’t respond in time, we split the pot evenly across them).
Robert Kenworthy said: “Whether improving the welfare of seafarers, assisting those in need, or addressing ocean pollution, these three organisations are working tirelessly to make the world a better place. Through the efforts and enthusiasm of dedicated staff and committed volunteers, they work wonders to make the best of limited resources, but their activities are only sustainable with the support of all of us. As a company with a mission to protect seafarers from cyber-threats, we thought it fitting to help those protecting and helping the wider marine community.”