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To all ITF Seafarers Affiliates 1 April 2020 Dear Comrades Greetings from the ITF Seafarers Trust, we hope you are all keeping safe and well in this time of crisis. Alongside the ITF, we are in the process of identifying ways in which the Trust can mitigate some of the harsh impacts of the Covid-19 virus on seafarers and their families. We also want to support unions and welfare organisations on the front line trying to maintain a humane and decent environment for seafarers, which is now under even more pressure than usual. We are seeking to prioritise grants for this purpose in order to respond to the current needs. With this in mind, we would like to draw your attention to a special ITFST Covid-19 Welfare Fund established by the ITF Seafarers’ Trust. Unions can make applications of up to £50,000 for projects or activities related to combating or mitigating the impact of the Covid-19 virus, funding is also available for small grants for individual cases seafarers and their families. We aim to expedite the process and make decisions in a matter of days or weeks subject to receipt of adequate supporting information. Guidelines are attached for your information. If you have any queries, please don’t hesitate to contact us, or if you have a request for support that falls outside of this framework but is related to the Covid-19 emergency, please do get in touch and we will try to help if we can. In solidarity Katie Higginbottom Head of ITF Seafarers’ Trust Applying for a grant from the ITF Seafarers’ Trust Covid-19 Welfare Fund What is the ITF Seafarers’ Trust Covid-19 Welfare Fund? The ITF Seafarers’ Trust Covid-19 Fund is an extraordinary fund established for a limited period to provide grants to benefit seafarers and maintain seafarers’ welfare services in difficulties due to the Covid-19 pandemic and its financial consequences. The fund has two main purposes: w to facilitate fast grant payments for specific projects to alleviate hardship, stress and isolation of seafarers and their families w to provide funds for the maintenance of seafarers’ welfare services during the period of instability caused by Covid-19 and the measures taken to combat the virus Grants are for emergency needs arising from the unique circumstances created by Covid-19 that cannot be met by other means. Grants matched or co-funded by other organisations are encouraged. Global and inter-faith cooperation and coordination is also encouraged. Regional, national and global solutions are more likely to be supported. Examples: w Financial aid for Seafarers centres/welfare organisations to maintain welfare assistance and services to seafarers where these are threatened as a consequence of Covid-19 w Connectivity and/or projects to relieve impact of prolonged isolation- enhancing WiFi availability for seafarers in port or at anchor, funding for digital resources/services w Subsistence funds for seafarers and their families whose contracts have been postponed due to Covid-19 Who can apply? Organisations with an interest in the welfare of seafarers and their families, such as unions and seafarers’ welfare providers. How to apply All applications should be made online here . The application is a simplified version of our general application form, without the need for ITF affiliate endorsement. If you have applied for any kind of grant from the ITF Seafarers’ Trust since 2019, you can log in with the same details. If this is the first time you apply using the new system, you will be asked to set up a log-in with a password for your organisation, before you can access the application form. You should keep these details safe so that you can save your application for later, make another grant application in the future and send us reports or update your details. Applications that are not likely to be supported w Applications from welfare organisations that were not providing adequate and or viable services prior to the Covid-19 crisis. w Applications for funding that can be covered by another source – for example wages covered under a government scheme or repatriation costs that would be addressed by the ITF. w Applications with insufficient information and documentation to support the case may be declined. How much can I apply for? You can apply for a grant of up to £50,000 GBP. However, the amount applied for must be realistic for the services or goods required. Any financial assistance granted will be for a period not longer than 3 months, as we cannot predict how the emergency will unfold. The Trust may take into account whether the beneficiaries are entitled to other support when considering making a grant. How long does the process take? Given the emergency situation, we are aiming to take a decision on Covid-19 related grant within one week. In case of approval we will try to transfer the funds within 10 days from the approval date. What happens next? After you submit your application, you will receive an email to confirm we have received your request. A copy of your request will be attached to the email. We will assess your application and you may be asked for additional information. We will contact you as soon as possible to inform you of the outcome of your application. Who makes the decision? Applications will be reviewed by the Trust’s Small Grants Committee and include the ITF Maritime Coordinator as an advisor. Your information You can read about how we keep and use the information you give us in our Privacy Policy on our website: https://www.seafarerstrust.org/privacy-policy/ Need more information? Contact us at info@seafarerstrust.org if you have any further questions, want to discuss your application or need specific advice. |
