Here are just some examples to illustrate why Seafarers UK have launched this campaign:
The Larkins Family
One such example is the Larkins family from Hull. Six-year old year Peter lives with his mother and father, a former Merchant Navy sailor, in Hull. Like many families in the area, they were badly affected by the 2007 floods; their home was completely ruined and they were forced to move out while refurbishment work took place.
Peter suffers from a rare genetic condition, which means he needs specialist hospital treatment every two weeks and frequently has to travel to see his consultant. Peter lost some of his favourite toys in the floods and has been missing them ever since. To make matters worse, Peter’s father, Brian, suffered a stroke during the floods and had to be rescued by the fire service and taken to hospital.
The family approached the Sailors’ Families Society, a charity funded by Seafarers UK, for help. The charity, which runs a UK-wide family support scheme, replaced some of the family’s furniture, provided them with a monthly grant and also replaced some of Peter’s missing toys.
Toby
Toby was born in 1993, the second son of a serving member of the Royal Navy. He was a beautiful baby, but gradually Toby’s parents noticed he was not developing in the same way as his older brother and sought medical advice. After some time Doctors diagnosed Toby with Autistic Spectrum Disorder and the prognosis was not encouraging.
When Toby was nearly three years old, he was referred to the KIDS Developmental Play Service, and for the first time Toby’s family felt they had been linked with an organisation that was there for all of them. In Diane’s words: ‘The support we received was second to none, there was no long waiting list, and within no time Toby had the opportunity to play in a caring and supportive environment.’
KIDS has developed services to support families at every stage, and when Toby started school he was still able to attend the Saturday Fun Club, which he continued to enjoy right up until his recent 14th birthday.
In the 12 years KIDS has been supporting Toby and his family, they have benefited from five separate services each designed to meet their specific family needs. KIDS works closely with each family to actively involve them in designing the package of care they want, when they want it. Toby’s father has peace of mind from knowing that wherever he is serving, his family have support in his absence.
‘KIDS has empowered us at every stage of Toby’s development, putting us in control by providing impartial information, training around disability and transition, and by being there no matter what,’ says Diane. ‘Toby has had the opportunity to develop into a fine young man. He is confident and able to actively take part in life, enjoying music as well as art and leisure activities. KIDS has enhanced our lives and enabled us to experience the joy of our son in spite of his autism.’
Debra
Debra and her husband, Mike, live in Telford and have three children. A few years ago Mike, who is an ex-Royal Navy Officer, was diagnosed with Peeks disease, a progressive and untreatable dementia which impairs physical and mental ability. Mike’s health recently deteriorated significantly, leaving Debra as his full-time carer, struggling to cope with caring for Mike and their children; eventually when Debra could no longer cope, Mike was transferred to a nearby care home.
A local charity, Sailors Families Society, supported by Seafarers UK has stepped in to provide financial support to Debra, to help her and Mike cover the mortgage repayments on their family home. Equally important, the charity is providing the family with emotional support and helping put them in touch with other agencies who can meet their needs over the long term.
Captain Pengelly
Captain R H Pengelly joined the Merchant Navy in 1942 as an Apprentice Officer. Originally from Liverpool, he spent several years working on various large tankers, sometimes spending almost the whole year away from his home and new wife. In 1954, Captain Pengelly returned to Liverpool with a Master’s Ticket. Over the years, he worked his way up through the ranks as a dock master until he retired as a Captain.
After he retired, the Captain and his wife started to have problems in the home where they had been happy for many years. Neighbours made their lives difficult and illness made the house too much for them to manage alone. Then a friend told them about Mariners Park Estate.
After visiting the estate and talking to some of the residents, Captain Pengelly and his wife applied to NUMAST Welfare Funds, move permanently into one of the residential bungalows. Here, they have settled into a comfortable new home and can enjoy the benefits of living independently, but with support from the staff team to help with maintenance, shopping and preparation of meals.