UK: Global Charity Effort Inspired by Lighthouse’s Bicentenary

When leading maritime services provider Inchcape Shipping Services sponsored events surrounding the bicentenary of the lighting of the Bell Rock Lighthouse in February this year, the company had an opportunity to do more than just celebrate 200 years of alerting mariners to the perils of the hidden Inchcape Reef off Scotland’s stormy coast, from which ISS takes its name.

Playwright George Bernard Shaw wrote: “I can think of no other edifice constructed by man as altruistic as a lighthouse. They were built only to serve.”

With this in mind ISS set about creating the ISS Lighthouse Relay Voyage – a Corporate Social Responsibility initiative that would help communities around the world in the 63 countries where ISS does business.

An engraved baton containing a scroll listing the charities chosen by its country managers was passed by ISS CEO, Capt. Claus Hyldager, to UK General Manager, Kevin Cool, at sea off the Inchcape Reef on a blustery February morning. From there it would travel the world carried wherever possible by ships under ISS’ agency.

Kevin carried it to Tilbury where it was handed to the Master of the LUCY BORCHARD for transfer to Rotterdam, then onto Gdansk on the OOCL NEVSKIY for the first charity donation handover. The local orphanage, J. Korczaka, and the Rotary Club of Sopot joined a reception on board to receive funds raised by ISS Poland. J. Korczaka is an institution for orphans who need specialised care.

The baton was then transferred to Antwerp, again courtesy of OOCL, where one of ISS Rotterdam’s staff is participating in a sponsored cycling challenge up the Alpe d’Huez, which he must complete six times to raise funds for ISS Benelux’s chosen charity: Cycling for Cancer.

Then onto Le Havre where the baton was passed on to the Master of the TOUCAN, Captain Betty Livet, by ISS Operations Manager, Dany Ledentu. ISS France’s chosen charity is the Société Nautique de Sauvetage en Mer – its mission to assist ships and their crews in distress along the French coast. All SNSM’s staff and crews are volunteers, their rescue and salvage operations supported by donations.

Then it was onto Gibraltar where ISS staff raised money for Women In Need by organising a sponsored walk to the top of the Rock. Women in Need provide an invaluable service to help some of the most vulnerable members within the Gibraltar community.

At time of writing the baton is in Istanbul where the local ISS office is raising money for LÖSEV – the Foundation for Children with Leukemia. From Turkey it will move to Greece, Italy, Egypt and then on into another ISS region.

“The commitment of ISS staff has been remarkable and we’re keen to keep the ISS Lighthouse Relay Voyage going indefinitely,” says Nick Elliott, General Manager – Group Communications, “another 200 years perhaps…..”

ISS would like to thank its shipowner principals, its suppliers and its staff for their efforts and generous contributions.

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Source: ISS, June 9, 2011.