Among our guests, we had the pleasure of welcoming past and present Maritime Ministers, including Lord Davies of Gower, who was our keynote speaker for the night. We announced the 2023 MCA's Officer Trainee of the Year and were also able to raise money for the President's chosen Charity; for this and for more, read our first item in the section below.

This week is National Apprenticeship Week, and the Chamber marked the occasion with some exceptional stories received from members and non-members. Thank you to everyone who contributed to this celebration; your stories were promoted across our website and social media channels. We are now looking for new stories for the forthcoming National Careers Week in March, to submit your story read below.

Chamber Holds 2024 Annual Dinner

On Monday, we celebrated our annual gala dinner at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House Hotel in London. The Annual Dinner attracted 735 guests from across the shipping community, including past and present Maritime Ministers.

This event heard from current Maritime Minister Lord Davies of Gower, the Chamber's CEO, Sarah Treseder, and the Chamber's President Graham Westgarth.

During the evening, we also hosted the 2023 MCA's Officer Trainee of the Year Award. MCA CEO Virginia McVea awarded Katie Jayne McGahan Hargreaves for her willingness to go above and beyond in promoting the maritime industry as an enthusiastic and dedicated ambassador.

The dinner helped raise over £5,600 for our President's chosen charity, the Sailor's Society and we thank everyone for their contribution. We also thank all our sponsors: Northern Marine, V. Group, Denholm, Lloyd's Register, ABS, Viking Maritime and MLA College.

Learn more about the evening and view all our pictures.

National Apprenticeship Week Celebration

Thank you to everyone who submitted their stories to celebrate National Apprenticeship Week (5 February - 11 February).

The Chamber was keen to celebrate the importance of apprenticeships in the industry and showcase rewarding careers in shipping.

Read all National Apprenticeship Week stories on our website.

National Careers Week

If you missed the deadline for submitting your apprenticeship story, don't worry, as we have a new opportunity coming up on w/c 4 March, when we will celebrate National Careers Week.

We are looking for people who are passionate about their work, so whether through an apprenticeship or university, we want to hear from you about your current role in shipping.

If interested, please send your Blog post of no more than 250 words, which talks through your work experience and what you like the most about your career, to our Digital Communications Manager, Antonella Barletta.

Please also include 2 pictures of you at work, one landscape and one portrait and send everything by Tuesday, 27 February at 12 pm.

Chamber Legal, Insurance and Documentary Committee

The Chamber's Legal, Insurance and Documentary Committee met on Thursday, 1 February. Amongst other topics, the Committee had the opportunity to discuss the impact of the recently enacted Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023. It was further concluded that sector-specific guidance to accompany the Act may not be necessary – the guidance as drafted provided sufficient clarity, although the usability of the guidance could be improved.

In addition, the Committee was notified and discussed the IMO Legal Affairs Office opinion on the interaction between UNCLOS and discharges from Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems (EGCS). Whilst not binding from an enforcement perspective, it provided helpful clarification for State Parties to UNCLOS that there was no current legal basis for unilateral restriction on the use of EGCS.

The next Committee meeting will take place on 5 September 2024, from 2 pm to 4 pm. Members who are interested in taking part are invited to contact Policy Advisor Hannah Gilbert.

Funding for Seafarer Cadets Available for an Extra 6 Months

In 2022 the UK government announced an increase in training subsidies for cadets, leading to more than £40 million being awarded to the Support for Maritime Training (SMarT) fund, as well as providing additional support for junior officers. 

With an original end date of September 2024, this funding will now be available until 31 March 2025.

Visit the Funding for Seafarer Cadets webpage on the Gov.uk website for more information.

Latest member updates

Chamber members are reminded that they have exclusive access to a range of updates from the Chamber’s policy experts on a wide spectrum of issues. You can access all your resources through your member dashboard. Latest updates include: 

• Accessibility Working Group - Flag State requirements, February 2024
• Border Force Stakeholder Bulletin - Issue 17, February 2024
• MEPC 81, IMO Legal Affairs Office: Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems

If you haven't done so, don't forget to register for an account.

Sign up for the Chamber's Newsletters 

To sign up for our newsletters you'll simply need to create an account on our website and choose your communication preferences. 

Members have a wide selection of circulars and other Chamber communications. Non-members will also have the opportunity to subscribe to some of our newsletters: Daily Briefing, Weekly Bulletin and Events Update.

Upcoming Events

EU ETS Strategy of Compliance Online Webinar - 'United States Time Zone' 

Organised by the Bahamas Shipowners Association, Chamber of Marine Commerce - Canada, Chamber of Shipping of America, Liberian Shipowners' Council, and UK Chamber of Shipping, the webinar will focus on technical and regulatory aspects of the EU ETS.

Join us online on 13th February from 13:30 to 15:00.

MEMBERS ONLY 

Maritime Labour Convention Online Course

The Chamber will be hosting an online-only training course on the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC); how it has come to be the fourth pillar of international regulation for shipping, alongside SOLAS, MARPOL and STCW.

The course will be held on Tuesday 23rd January 9:30 - 12:30.

BOOK TICKET 

UK Chamber of Shipping AGM & Networking Drinks

The UK Chamber of Shipping AGM and Drinks Reception will be held this year at Glaziers Hall, from 4.30 - 6.30pm on 14th February 2024.

Join us in person to welcome our newly elected President and Vice-President.

BOOK TICKET

Introduction to Shipping Course  

Join us on Monday, 26 February, from 2 pm to 4 pm for our online course on Introduction to Shipping.

The Chamber’s Introduction to UK Shipping online course is an engaging online snapshot that will give participants an understanding of how the UK shipping industry operates, its regulations, constraints, and current issues.

BOOK TICKET  

Shipping UK Conference

We are delighted to announce the UK Chamber of Shipping will host its first Shipping UK, Conference on 8th October 2024 at the QEII Centre, Westminster.

The Chamber is currently working on themes, speakers and the day’s format but early thoughts are this will look into the key shipping issues we will all face over the next 10-15 years and will include Keynote Speakers, Breakout Sessions, Panel Debates, an Exhibition and Evening Food & Drink networking event at the end of conference business. Tickets will be on sale in early January 2024. In the meantime, save the date.