Triton 2025 - Magazine - Page 27
LOSS PREVENTION
Bridging Oceans:
The Swedish Club Strengthens
Seafarer-Family Connections
Through Storytelling and Support
The Swedish Club, in collaboration
with Mental Health Support Solutions
(MHSS), is continuing its commitment to
crew wellbeing with a two-part initiative
that helps bring seafarers and their
families closer together no matter the
distance.
The journey began with the release of
Our Family and the Sea, a beautifully
illustrated children’s book designed to
support families separated by life at sea.
The heart-warming story follows siblings
Angelo and Mutya, whose father works
aboard an ocean-going cargo ship. As
they struggle with missing their father,
especially during important moments like
birthdays, they are guided by their mother,
grandparents, and friends to better
understand his life at sea. In a particularly
touching scene, young Mutya dreams of
a blue whale who takes her on an ocean
journey to visit her father at work, helping
her feel connected even while apart.
Produced as part of the Club’s Check Your
Pulse crew wellbeing project, the book
was developed with input from specialist
child psychologists at MHSS. Aimed
at children under 10 years old, it uses
simple, engaging language and is available
digitally, allowing seafarers and their
children to read it together, even when
oceans apart. A limited number of copies
of the book are also available in print.
Lorraine Hager, Loss Prevention &
Marketing Advisor at The Swedish Club,
explains how the project developed:
“When we began brainstorming the Crew
Wellbeing Project, it was clear that family
plays a vital role in a seafarer’s mental
health. This book is more than just a story,
it’s a shared experience, a way for parents
and children to connect despite the miles
between them.”
Güven Kale, Chief Clinical Of昀椀cer at MHSS,
who was the key contact at MHSS for
the project adds: “It’s not just a tool for
children to navigate their emotions - it’s
a bridge that connects families, helping
parents and kids support one another
despite the physical distance.”
Following the positive response to the
children’s book, The Swedish Club has
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