Info on charities needed please

[Zoe Kenyon]

Dear Brian

I have used my old writing name (Zoe Kenyon) - am not ex-Merchant Navy but was getting help from your very helpful members for research into my Arctic convoy book (which is being published this year - very exciting!).

My 'real' name (i.e. married name) is Vanessa de Haan. I'm writing under that now!

Perhaps you can help me in letting me know which of the charities or associations are the ones that truly help the Merchant Navy?
There doesn't seem to be one body, but rather many different websites, and one of my hopes was to raise awareness of the amazing things the MN did during the second world war....

Thanks so much
Vanessa

[robpage]

There are many charities but one central point for all the useful information is seafarersupport.org run by the Welfare Board in Southampton , they are really helpful

[Keith at Tregenna]

Hello and welcome Zoe.

As you say there are a fair few.

I have generally dealt with:

Seafarers UK: Seafarers UK: Supporting us

and

The Mission to Seafarers: https://www.missiontoseafarers.org/where-we-work

It would be interesting if you could return and let us know your final choice and why etc.

The Merchant Navy Association (MNA) would be helpful: The Merchant Navy Association | Home | from ship to shore, from past to presentHome - The Merchant Navy Association

Regards Keith.

[Brenda Shackleton]

Dear Vanessa,

The Sailors' Society celebrates its 200th anniversary in March this year. Still looking after Sailors. Go to press@sailors-society.org to read their latest Newsletter. I'm always knitting woolly hats for sailors - nearly up to 100 since last year.

I'm really interested in your interest in the Arctic Convoys. Is it merely academic or do you have a personal attachment ? What are you using for source material?
Don't forget the role of the Rescue Ships - VERY important !
Regards
Brenda

[Zoe Kenyon]

Hello everyone - and thanks very much for getting back to me.... I will look into all those names and see where I end up!

My interest in the Merchant Navy grew while I researched my book - I'd never learnt about the Merchant Navy before and grew increasingly shocked and ashamed that I knew nothing about their role in the second world war the more I read (and as we've pointed out at the publishers, even the fact that Royal Navy is styled 'upper case' when proofreading, but Merchant Navy is meant to be 'lower case' - but we have insisted that is changed for my book at least!).

The idea for the book started because my grandmother used to tell me a story about how - when she was nine years old and living where her family had sent her for safety in the West Highlands in case of a German invasion down south - she had been rowing on the loch when her father's ship (a Royal Navy destroyer) suddenly appeared unexpectedly. She had rowed home as fast as possible and told her older sisters (four of them - all under 18 - and living there unsupervised) that the ship was on the loch. They had laughed at her until there was a knock at the door and their father arrived for tea. I always took this story with a pinch of salt. But then my great-aunt told it to me as well, and I thought I'd look into it, and sure enough, I discovered that Loch Ewe became a 'secret' naval base during the war. I then discovered that Loch Ewe became one of the places that the Russian convoys used to congregate - and promptly discovered that story was even more extraordinary! So I've written a novel about the convoys - it's fiction but based on fact - research and interviews with veterans - about the Merchant Navy, the Fleet Air Arm, Arctic convoys, Scotland, Russia, the London docks, sea school, and so on...

Sorry - I'm rambling! But you did ask!

I'm hoping it will help to raise some awareness of the Merchant Navy's role - and that's why I was wondering which were the charities or bodies that REALLY try to help veterans and seafarers - because then I can try and mention them if I write any articles or do any interviews, and hopefully that will drum up a bit more support.... But I wasn't sure which were the ones that do really help!

If you think of any others, do let me know - but I will look into these ones in the meantime.

Thanks again for all your help. It's a very friendly and helpful site!

Vanessa / Zoe (my real name is Vanessa de Haan - but I used to write under Zoe Kenyon before I got married)

[Zoe Kenyon]

PS: used mainly (non fiction) books written by veterans as well as websites (e.g. about sea schools) and other history books, and some veteran interviews for my sources - plus forums like this... And the Russian Arctic Convoy museum project (Russian Arctic Convoy Museum Project) have been really helpful. I go to Scotland as often as I can....

I am still a bit gobsmacked by almost 100 woolly hats SINCE LAST YEAR?! Amazing!

[Ivan Cloherty]

I am still a bit gobsmacked by almost 100 woolly hats SINCE LAST YEAR?! Amazing!

You should feel at home here then Zoe, we've got more than 100 woolly heads!

[Marian Gra]

Hello Vanessa, Another excellent name for you to consider is:

Chris Rankin MBE MNM

Projects Manager

Seafarers Link

Community Network


t: +44 (0) 1752 812674

m: +44(0)7933 153 189


e: chris@community-network.org

w: Community Network | Connecting people together for improved health and wellbeing

Community Network specialise in training volunteer peer facilitators to host telephone groups that help to tackle loneliness.

0ur income is raised from individual / corporate donors, charitable trusts and from the provision of teleconferencing training and consultancy.


She was invaluable to me when I inquired about visits regarding the welfare of a former member here who has since died Alf Corbyn, a delightful character. She introduced me to a chap called Paul Hingston, he is a Welfare Officer for Fisherman's Mission in the Plymouth area if I remember correctly, and true to his word visited Alf on a regular basis even ferrying his family to and fro when needed and keeping the site informed as to Alf's well-being. Lovely man too.

Good luck with your book. Regards, Marian

[Brenda Shackleton]

Hello Vanessa,

I was in Loch Ewe 9th May 2013 for the Arctic Convoy Celebrations. The Lord- Lieutenant (a lady, whose name escapes me) handed out the first of the Arctic Star Medals to 10 Veterans. I submitted quite a lot of material to the Museum and you could find a piece that I wrote about my Dad on their website. Capt. William Joseph Hartley D.S.C and the Rescue Ships. Did I mention Rescue Ships ??!! I mention them a lot......! Hope that you mention them, too.

regards
Brenda

ps believe me I am no great knitter but hats are easy and the telly is dire.

[Red Lead Ted]

Hi, Zoe. I know a few ex Merchant Seaman who have fell on hard times especially as they get older, The Mission to Seaman has been very good to them in genuine cases. A friend of mine found himself without a cooker recently, And was provided with one through the Mersey mission to seaman, Regards Terry.