July 2024 - MISSION TO SEAFARERS
Collectively there are an estimated 1.89m seafarers across the world operating on 74,000 ships. These men and women of all nationalities, spend up to nine months at sea, far from families, friends and loved ones.With a history dating back to 1836, The Mission to Seafarers supports the men and women working at sea when they need us most, as they experience loneliness and mental health issues, combined with limited access to internet onboard ships. The charity has 200+ ports in 50 countries, operating day and night, 365 days a year.
Seafaring remains one of the world’s most dangerous occupations, with piracy, shipwrecks and abandonment all adding to the problems that seafarers face in their line of work.
Mission To Seafarers helps these essential key workers – who bring more than 90% of our goods and fuels – in a variety of ways.
To compensate for the lack of facilities available, all of our Seafarers Centres, spread across 50 countries, aim to provide Seafarers with:
• Access to WiFi Internet and SIM cards
• A comfortable place to rest and relax
• The chance to get food and toiletries
• Transport to shops and local amenities
And it’s not just practical support the Mission offers. Seafarers need emotional and frequently spiritual support too. That’s why the mission has a large network of ordained Port Chaplains who come on board ships, giving seafarers a listening ear and offering prayer, if needed. They can also connect seafarers to other organisations, or speak to them on their behalf.
August 2024 - SIGHTSAVERS
More than a year on from her cataract operation, Angeshita is a proud, active and independent woman.
It’s a transformation from when we met her in 2022, when sight loss in both her eyes had left Angeshita dependent on her daughter and grandchildren.
Cataracts were devastating for Angeshita, who lives in Malawi. One day she had what she describes as a “blackout”, which left her struggling to return from a day’s work in the fields. She had to ask two young boys to escort her back home.
Angeshita, who is 74 years old, said at the time: “Before, when I had my eyes, I would do things with my hands. I would go and find piecework, feed myself, but with this disease, I can’t do any of that. It has affected my children and grandchildren because I am just sitting idle, and they should be tired of looking after me.”
Angeshita had an operation to restore her sight as part of Sightsavers eye care project in Malawi.
The cataract operation moved Angeshita in a way she never imagined. “I didn’t like dancing before, but that day I danced,” she says. “I was so happy inside my heart. Now that I can see, I can walk and I can find some paid work, fetch water and wash for myself.”
Sightsavers treat eye conditions such as cataracts and tackle debilitating diseases, many of which cause sight loss. To do this, the charity works with governments and local, national and international partners to carry out eye operations and distribute treatments where they are needed.
Sightsavers also advocate for the rights of women, girls and people with disabilities, and help to improve local health services so they are sustainable.
They have more than 70 years of experience, and are proud to be a leader in their field.
September 2024 - HAMPSHIRE & ISLE OF WIGHT AIR AMBULANCE SERVICE
During April 2024 your Air Ambulance charity responded to 195 emergency call-outs across the region. 146 missions by day, 49 missions by night. The busiest day was Monday. The busiest time was 2pm. 167 missions in Hampshire, 12 missions on the Isle of Wight, 16 missions out of area.107 missions were in their own aircraft and a combined total of 88 in emergency response vehicles. Each mission cost on average £3,500.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance is the independent Charity that brings an advanced Critical Care Team to the most seriously ill and injured patients in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, giving them the best chance of survival and recovery, when the worst happens.
Using both a helicopter and emergency response vehicle, the Charity brings a team of highly skilled pre-hospital emergency medicine doctors and specialist paramedics to the scene of an incident, effectively bringing the hospital to the patient when time is critical. Called out to an average of four incidents every day, including cardiac arrests, road traffic collisions, falls and assaults, this life-saving service is operational 365 days a year, both day and night.
It currently costs £17,750 a day to maintain this life saving service, and it is only thanks to the generosity of the communities that it serves that it is possible to keep the Air Ambulance flying and saving lives.
Additionally, the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance Aftercare Team is made up of experienced paramedics and nurses, here to support you and your family beyond the point of serious injury or illness.
