Future Thinking S4 E1: The Human Safety Net – Welfare on the Frontline

Thank you both for talking to us and welcome.

Now, if I can start off with a question to you both, but I'll come to Ruth first.

We know that the majority of goods that we are using on a daily basis are being shipped by sea.

But that is quite an abstract way of looking at shipping, actually.

And very often people forget that there are seafarers operating those ships.

So my question here is, how can we shift the focus from the wider world? Instead of looking at the cargo that is being shipped, how can we make people understand that there are seafarers on those ships who need to be taken care of?

Well, I think this is an age old question, really.

You know, you go back to HMS Victory and all you think about is what an amazing vessel it was.

We don't think about the crew that were on board then.

So I don't think we can ever change it.

But what we can do is to keep talking.

and keep talking positively about seafarers.

So keeping them in people's imagination, really.

So that's what I would say.

We just need to keep talking and talking positively.

It can be all too easy to talk quite negatively about seafaring.

So I think it's really important to talk about it in a positive way, in a positive light, and just be really, really proud of our seafarers and what they achieve on a day-to-day basis.

And Steve, from your perspective?

Yeah, I think it's more than ever we see how much we rely on shipping around the world at the moment.

And that's why we need to think bigger than just the cargo.

When I go and speak to groups and to schools, It's saying like when you're at the coast next and you're looking out at the sea and you see a ship, don't just think about the cargo that they're bringing, but actually think about the people on board.

You don't know who they are.

You don't know where they're from or how long they've been on there.

But they're doing such a dangerous job and they do it without recognition, really.

And we're so grateful for everything they do so that we can live our lives.

Thank you both for talking to us and welcome.

Now, if I can start off with a question to you both, but I'll come to Ruth first.

We know that the majority of goods that we are using on a daily basis are being shipped by sea.

But that is quite an abstract way of looking at shipping, actually.

And very often people forget that there are seafarers operating those ships.

So my question here is, how can we shift the focus from the wider world? Instead of looking at the cargo that is being shipped, how can we make people understand that there are seafarers on those ships who need to be taken care of?

Well, I think this is an age old question, really.

You know, you go back to HMS Victory and all you think about is what an amazing vessel it was.

We don't think about the crew that were on board then.

So I don't think we can ever change it.

But what we can do is to keep talking.

and keep talking positively about seafarers.

So keeping them in people's imagination, really.

So that's what I would say.

We just need to keep talking and talking positively.

It can be all too easy to talk quite negatively about seafaring.

So I think it's really important to talk about it in a positive way, in a positive light, and just be really, really proud of our seafarers and what they achieve on a day-to-day basis.

And Steve, from your perspective?

Yeah, I think it's more than ever we see how much we rely on shipping around the world at the moment.

And that's why we need to think bigger than just the cargo.

When I go and speak to groups and to schools, It's saying like when you're at the coast next and you're looking out at the sea and you see a ship, don't just think about the cargo that they're bringing, but actually think about the people on board.

You don't know who they are.

You don't know where they're from or how long they've been on there.

But they're doing such a dangerous job and they do it without recognition, really.

And we're so grateful for everything they do so that we can live our lives.