Surrey-based maritime charity, The Royal Alfred Seafarers’ Society and its care home, Belvedere House, is proudly recognising the contribution of its team this International Women’s Day by marking the diversity of its predominately female workforce.
Women make up almost three quarters (72%) of the Society’s 100-strong workforce, with female staff far outweighing the male staff. Women also make up 66% of the Heads of Department team and 66% of the Senior Management team, with the Society priding itself on providing strong progression opportunities for staff and nurturing female leaders.
The Royal Alfred showcases a diverse team of women ranging from 27 years of age to 66 and from a variety of different backgrounds, so the home is proud to champion diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Staff at the Royal Alfred originate from 17 nationalities in total, bringing a wealth of different experiences and cultures to the home.
Housekeeping Manager, Shirley Campbell has been working at Belvedere House since 2007, when she and her family relocated to the UK from South Africa. She said: “When I first moved to the UK, my original role here at the Society was as carer. I trained as a nurse in Zimbabwe and so have always worked in the health field. Two years later, I wanted a new challenge and so applied for the Housekeeping Manager position – the rest is history, as it were!
“As one of the oldest staff members here at the Royal Alfred, I’m proud to work alongside so many fantastic people of all ages and from many different backgrounds. Here, it doesn’t matter about where you come from, your age or gender – as long as you are passionate about people and have a caring heart, this really is an amazing place to work. We have a brilliant team and we’re all like one big family.”
The Society’s CEO, Commander Brian Boxall-Hunt, added: “The Royal Alfred is proud to offer people of all ages and backgrounds a supportive workplace and career opportunities and in return we know having a diverse workforce brings new ideas, innovation and creative solutions to the Society. We know this is partly why so many of our team choose to dedicate so many years of their lives to the Royal Alfred, and we are proud of our strong staff retention rate, compared to the industry average. This International Women’s Day we thank you for all of your hard work and dedication to the sector.”
The Society, which delivers expert care to former seafarers and their dependants, including those living with dementia, supports nearly 70 residents at its Banstead-based care home, and provides sheltered accommodation for 24 individually living tenants.
To find out more about the work of The Royal Alfred Seafarers’ Society visit the charity’s website www.royalalfredseafarers.co.uk. To keep up to date with the latest news from the Society, follow and like the official Society Twitter (@RAseafarers) and Facebook pages.
