Seafarers Hospital Society
At a glance
Key takeaways
- The Society's stated focus is the United Kingdom, and its themes are seafarer health, welfare and advice, so work for UK-based seafarers, their dependants or the maritime organisations that care for them fits its purpose.
- The median grant to an organisation was about £6,700, and the typical band runs from £335 to £105,000, so a modest, specific request is the most realistic fit.
- The annual report shows no published application process, so start by contacting the Society through the contact it gives there or on its website, since its grants to organisations go to selected organisations.
- Do not approach it for seafarers who have not completed five years' sea service, former seafarers without at least five years' service unless their service ended early through accident or illness, dependants of such seafarers, or children aged 18 or over applying as dependants.
- The annual report does not say how competitive its grant making is or how long decisions take.
Overview
Seafarers Hospital Society is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 231724).
The Seafarers Hospital Society was founded as the Seamen's Hospital Society by a group of philanthropists, in response to the growing number of homeless and impoverished seafarers living on the streets of London after the Napoleonic wars. Its basic purpose has remained unchanged: to assist seafarers and their dependants in need. It works principally through grant making and project work, giving grants to qualifying individuals and to selected organisations, including maritime organisations that care for seafarers. It has awarded £610,458+ in financial grants, against total grant expenditure of £1,000,000.
What they fund
Priority Areas
The Society supports the health, welfare and advice needs of seafarers of any nationality based in the United Kingdom, as well as the people who depend on them. It provides health and welfare grants to seafarers and their dependants and to maritime organisations that care for them, alongside other services for seafarers. Its individual grants can help with household essentials, priority debts, home maintenance, disability aids, urgent short-term living expenses, respite or convalescence, clothing and funeral expenses. The Society also supports physiotherapy, mental health and wellbeing provision, advice services and work to improve fishers’ health. It assesses individual applications against eligibility criteria, considering financial circumstances and personal need, and takes a holistic approach, coordinating support with partner maritime charities where appropriate.
Themes
- Seafarer health
- Seafarer welfare
- Seafarer advice
Geographic Focus
The United Kingdom.
What they don't fund
- Grants to seafarers only:
- working merchant seafarers or fishermen who have not completed five years’ sea service
- former seafarers who have not had at least five years’ sea service, unless their service was cut short because of accident or illness
- dependants of working or former merchant seafarers or fishermen who have not completed five years’ sea service
- children aged 18 or over applying as dependants
How to apply
No application process is published in the charity's annual report, its register entry or its website. The contact shown is for getting in touch.
What to send:
- Grants to seafarers: An application form, completed with your caseworker.
Where they fund
Where it says it funds
- United Kingdom
Similar funders
Funders supporting work similar to Seafarers Hospital Society.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 9 grants in year to 31 December 2025 by size
Median £6,702 (year to 31 December 2025)
The largest grants to organisations in this funder’s latest annual report:
- Seafarers Advice and Information Line (SAIL) — From unrestricted funds£100,939year to 31 December 2025
- MNWB Physiotherapy Services£19,183year to 31 December 2025
- Physiotherapy (Harbourside network)£12,033year to 31 December 2025
- MCG development programme£10,000year to 31 December 2025
- Just Giving – London Marathon£6,702year to 31 December 2025
- MNWB – Other Grants£5,000year to 31 December 2025
- Dreadnought medical service – patient travel expenses£1,821year to 31 December 2025
- TSC – Maritime Anchor Fund£1,034year to 31 December 2025
Grant examples taken from the funder’s filed accounts. Not included above: 2 grants to individuals; 2 with no named recipient.
Five years of accounts
| Financial year | Income | Expenditure | Grants paid | Accounts document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| year to 31 December 2021 | £154,423 | £826,561 | — | Accounts for year to 31 December 2021 |
| year to 31 December 2022 | £398,401 | £724,282 | — | Accounts for year to 31 December 2022 |
| year to 31 December 2023 | £518,331 | £670,384 | £142,589 | Accounts for year to 31 December 2023 |
| year to 31 December 2024 | £311,650 | £926,277 | — | Accounts for year to 31 December 2024 |
| year to 31 December 2025 | £544,019 | £943,851 | £356,901 | Accounts for year to 31 December 2025 |
Income vs grants paid
IncomeGrants paid
Total value each financial year
Grants paid stayed within income across the 2 years shown.
- Grants paid, year to 31 December 2023: grants to institutions, as reported on the charity register (Part B).
- Grants paid, year to 31 December 2025: grants awarded in the year, as reported in the accounts.
Figures from the charity’s filed accounts and its register entry. The document icon links to the charity’s entry on the Charity Commission register, where its filed accounts can be found.
Sources
Registers and filings
Other sources
- seahospital.org.uk · read on 30 October 2026
- seahospital.org.uk/help-for-you/grants-to-seafarers · read on 30 October 2026
- seahospital.org.uk/about-us · read on 30 October 2026
- seahospital.org.uk/contact-us · read on 30 October 2026
- Annual report (year to 31 December 2025)
This profile draws on the funder’s own website as well as its filed accounts.
Sources last checked on 30 October 2026.
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At a glance
Applying to Seafarers Hospital Society?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- 020 8858 3696source
- admin@seahospital.org.uksource
- 4th Floor, Silverstream House, 45 Fitzroy Street, Fitzrovia, London W1T 6EBsource
- seahospital.org.uk
- Contact form
- Apply online
Applying to Seafarers Hospital Society?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- 020 8858 3696source
- admin@seahospital.org.uksource
- 4th Floor, Silverstream House, 45 Fitzroy Street, Fitzrovia, London W1T 6EBsource
- seahospital.org.uk
- Contact form
- Apply online