Resources

An umbrella body for a network of independent Rape Crisis Centres in England and Wales. Information, resources and helpline. See also Rape Crisis Scotland and Rape Crisis Network Ireland

The Survivors Trust is the largest umbrella agency for specialist rape and sexual abuse services in the UK. Information, resources and helpline.

US anti-sexual violence organisation. Information, helpline, online chat.

This video, produced by Thames Valley Police, is an excellent explanation of consent, and can help to clarify situations that you may be unsure about.

For male survivors of sexual abuse, here are links to support services:

https://safeline.org.uk/services/national-male-helpline/

https://www.survivorsuk.org/#section-1

Find your nearest centre

Find your service provider

Run by ISWAN (International Seafarer Welfare and Assistance Network), this support service can be accessed in a number of ways. They can be contacted regarding any issue, including sexual assault. The helpline is run by staff who are multilingual and have received training in listening/ counselling skills, suicide risk assessment and the issues affecting seafarers. They can provide emotional support and refer to counsellors if appropriate. Read more about SeafarerHelp here.

Managed by the Merchant Navy Welfare Board (MNWB), the unique Seafarer Support website acts as a central source of information on the help available from the UK maritime charity sector. It covers serving and retired Merchant Navy, Fishers, Royal Navy/Royal Marines personnel and their families, and signposts to organisations that help non-UK seafarers. For those who are unable to access the internet or simply prefer to use the phone, Seafarer Support has a freephone helpline 0800 121 4675.

Sailors’ Society has over 100 chaplains and ship visitors around the world. In recent years they have been actively campaigning on the subject of mental health, including their campaign Not On My Watch.

The Mission to Seafarers work in over 200 ports in 50 countries and are available 365 days a year. They can be contacted for emotional or practical help by seafarers of any nationality or religion.

Stella Maris provide pastoral and practical support for seafarers and have 230 chaplains serving over 300 ports. You can find your nearest Stella Maris chaplain using this link: https://www.stellamaris.org.uk/contact-us/chaplains-map/

International Transport Workers’ Federation is recognised as the world’s leading transport authority. It connects over 700 transport unions from 150 countries for over 16 million transport workers to sure rights, equality and justice. For assistance seafarers should first contact their own trade union, but if this is not possible, any seafarer can contact the ITF.

Seafarers can look up ITF inspectors in a region and contact them directly using this tool:

https://www.itfseafarers.org/en/look-up

Alternatively contact the seafarer support team at: seafsupport@itf.org

The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers. The RMT is a UK transport union, who can be contacted by phone or email.

Nautilus is the trade union for maritime professionals in the UK, Switzerland and the Netherlands. A trade union can support seafarers onboard who are suffering any forms of harassment onboard. They can provide a range of services from shoulder to lean on, assisting you with getting repatriated from your vessel, raising the matter with your company and supporting you if you wish to take the matter further, even in other legal jurisdictions. They have an app where you can record incidents and find contact details for helplines.

Befrienders Worldwide – Volunteer Action to Prevent Suicide. Befrienders Worldwide links emotional support centres (such as the Samaritans) in countries across the world, assisting people who are suicidal or in emotional distress. To find a support centre in your country or a helpline in your language click here: https://help.befrienders.org/

Mental health information, resources and support

Samaritans is a UK-based suicide prevention charity. You do not have to be suicidal to contact the Samaritans and they can be contacted via the methods below

Helpline: 116 123 (within the UK)

Email: jo@samaritans.org.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a national network of local crisis centers that provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Helpline: 1-800-273-8255 (USA)

Women Offshore’s mentoring programme. The programme runs in 6 month rotations. At the end of the 6 months, you can choose to opt out and take a break or continue on and be matched with a new mentee or mentor.