The Mission honours outstanding contributions to seafarers’ welfare worldwide at annual Awards Dinner; reaffirms commitment to expansion of services in Singapore
SINGAPORE, 16 May 2019 – The Mission to Seafarers, the leading international seafarer welfare charity, has announced the winners of the 2019 Seafarers Awards at its annual Awards Dinner in Singapore.
The awards recognise seafarers, shore-based staff, volunteers and companies around the globe who have made outstanding contributions to the welfare of seafarers both at sea and ashore.
The winner of each category was chosen by judges Capt Mike Meade – Chief Executive at M3Marine Group, Simon Doughty – former CEO at Wallem Group, Marlon R. Roño – President and CEO at Magsaysay Maritime Corporation, and The Revd Canon Andrew Wright – Secretary General of The Mission to Seafarers.
The winner of the award for the seafarer who has contributed significantly to the welfare of fellow crew on board was Giovanni Lauron of BW Group and the award for the seafarer who has contributed significantly to crew welfare within their organisation went to Captain Conrado Gascon of Masterbulk.
Nathalie Quiquempoix of Wallem Group was the recipient of the award for the shore-based employee who has made a significant contribution to seafarers’ welfare. The award for the company which has made a significant contribution to seafarers’ welfare was Scorpio Group.
The final award of the evening, which was the Secretary General’s special award for outstanding service to seafarers, was awarded to S C Lim of The Mission to Seafarers, Singapore, who has served as a volunteer with MtS Singapore in various capacities for over 44 years.
The Mission is extremely grateful to all of the sponsors at this year’s awards, which were once again supported by gold sponsors Shell and BHP, with senior executives Nick Potter and Rashpal Bhatti both making impassioned speeches about their continued commitment to seafarers’ welfare. Silver sponsors for the evening were North P&I Club, Wärtsilä, Singapore Organisation of Seamen, China Navigation, the Singapore Maritime Officers’ Union, and the glass awards sponsor Wallem. Guests were also treated to a drink’s reception sponsored by HFW.
During the evening Capt Rob Walker, Chairman of the Mission in Singapore, also reaffirmed the Mission’s commitment to expanding its facilities and service provision in Singapore to meet the growing demands for welfare support in the area.
Last year the Mission visited 1,013 ships in Singapore and transported 1,058 seafarers, as well as providing care and counsel to the crew of a distressed vessel.
The Revd Canon Andrew Wright, Secretary General, The Mission to Seafarers, said:
“Following the success of our inaugural Awards Dinner last year, we were hugely excited to welcome so many esteemed names from across the industry to what has quickly become one of the biggest events of the year focused on seafarer welfare.
“These Awards are truly special in that they recognise the importance of an individual’s actions and the difference these can make to the lives of many.
“Over the course of the evening we heard the stories of men and women within our industry who have made remarkable contributions to the welfare of seafarers around the globe. We also heard from shipping companies who actively encourage this behaviour and cultivate an environment where welfare is promoted and celebrated. These people and organisations should be role models to the rest of us in the maritime industry.”
He added:
“For 163 years the Mission has worked tirelessly to safeguard the wellbeing of our seafarers worldwide, driven by our ambition to make the industry a more productive and safer place for all. As one of the world’s busiest trans-shipment hubs, Singapore has long been a key location for the Mission, and we have seen our presence here grow over the past 93 years.
“Moving forward, as more and more vessels pass through Singapore’s ports, we plan to expand our welfare and facilities provision in the region to ensure as many seafarers as possible have access to the Mission’s practical, emotional and spiritual support.”
The full list of winners and shortlisted nominees for the awards is as follows:
Award one: The Seafarer who has contributed significantly to the welfare of fellow crew on board
Winner: Giovanni Lauron (BW Group)
Shortlist:
- Sebi Thomas (AMETO)
- Policarpio Balido (Swire)
Award two: The seafarer who has contributed significantly to crew welfare within their organisation
Winner: Capt Conrado Gascon (Masterbulk)
Shortlist:
- Sebi Thomas (AMETO)
- Capt Anuj Velankar (Thomas Miller)
Award three: The shore-based employee who has made a significant contribution to seafarers’ welfare
Winner: Nathalie Quiquempoix (Wallem Group)
Shortlist:
- Capt Anuj Velankar (Thomas Miller)
- Capt Michael Kelly (Pilot NSW)
- Liu Zhu Ming (China Navigation Company)
Award four: The company which has made a significant contribution to seafarers’ welfare
Winner: Scorpio Group
Shortlist:
- China Navigation Company
- Women of Wallem
- Synergy Marine Group
- Eastern Pacific Shipping
Award five: The Secretary General’s special award for outstanding service to seafarers
Winner: S C Lim (The Mission to Seafarers, Singapore)
Shortlist:
- Ian Pole (The Mission to Seafarers)
