Our Charity Partner

The Mission to Seafarers

Beard Medical Practice is a private GP and ENG1 seafarer clinic and we are proud to support the work of our charity partner, The Mission to Seafarers. This is an international charity, founded in Bristol, which assists seafarers with advice on health, welfare, family support and provides port services for them onshore. It responds to a variety of maritime emergencies and also provides an on-call service to seafarers, operating 365 days a year in over 200 ports worldwide. Our private GP and ENG1 medical services help support this charity to continue helping patients from a range of seafarer backgrounds.

The charity was founded in 1836 by John Ashley and initially set up as the Bristol Channel Mission. He was struck by the difficulties faced by seafarers and set up the charity in order to support them in their work and home life. The charity moved to London in 1968 and changed its name to The Mission to Seafarers in 2000. The patron of the charity is Her Royal Highness, The Princess Royal.