The IMRF is excited and proud to be selected as one of four official charities for London International Shipping Week (LISW) 2025. After a thorough evaluation process, the IMRF, alongside the Merchant Navy Welfare Board, the Sir Thomas Lipton Foundation, and Project Connect, has been selected as this year’s featured charities.

Each organisation was chosen for its strong alignment with LISW25’s core themes and its commitment to addressing vital maritime challenges, from education and training to safety at sea and welfare support.

The IMRF plays a pivotal role in strengthening the global search and rescue (SAR) framework, bringing together the world’s maritime SAR organisations to ensure the safety of all seafarers.

Caroline Jupe, CEO of the IMRF, expressed her appreciation: “We are immensely grateful to have been selected as one of the official charities for LISW25. This recognition reflects the hard work of our global teams and highlights the critical role of maritime SAR in ensuring seafarer safety. The IMRF has various programmes and initiatives to enhance and improve maritime SAR capability worldwide.

“We also want to congratulate the three other organisations – each one contributes something essential to the maritime sector, and we’re honoured to be part of this journey alongside them,” Caroline added.

Sean Moloney, co-CEO and co-Founder of LISW, welcomed the announcement: “We are delighted to be able to work this year with this set of amazing charities. They do such a great job in their areas of operation and the LISW25 Steering Group looks forward to involving them fully within the LISW25 week in September.

The Merchant Navy Welfare Board works globally to enhance the lives of merchant seafarers, fishermen, and their families. The Sir Thomas Lipton Foundation offers maritime education and training to disadvantaged youth, while Project Connect promotes awareness and interest in maritime careers among young people.