UK charity Sailors' Society has found a new chief executive at a challenging time for the sector due to a coronavirus-related squeeze on funding.
The seafarers' welfare organisation has recruited experienced charity leader and former civil servant Sara Baade will take the helm in September after former boss Stuart Rivers left in May last year.
The charity described Baade as having a strong background in management and strategic policy.
She is currently chief executive of the Army Families Federation.
Her career also includes working as a senior civil servant for the UK Department of Business Innovation and Skills, a directorship at the charity UK Skills and substantial experience in investment banking.
A 'strong candidate'
"We are delighted to have secured such a strong candidate to take over and build on Sailors’ Society work providing a lifeline for seafarers and their families around the world," Sailors’ Society chair of trustees Peter Swift said.
"Our new CEO joins us at a time of great innovation, as we offer new virtual services to complement our traditional roles, including our industry-leading Wellness at Sea programme and our family outreach."
He added that Baade is "admirably equipped" to tackle the challenge of developing the society and securing its sustainability for the future.
Baade said: "Sailors' Society is a charity that not only delivers a real positive difference to seafarers, but also to the wider seafaring community and I couldn’t be more honoured and excited to join and lead the charity going forwards."
Test cases pending
But her appointment comes as a legal cloud still lingers over the charity relating to cases of alleged historic child abuse at a Sailors' Society children's home in Scotland.
In January, a lawyer representing the victims told TradeWinds the charity’s stance on compensation is "morally bankrupt".
Patrick McGuire, partner at Thompsons Solicitors, is launching two test cases in Scotland’s highest civil court, after claims were made of physical and sexual abuse dating back decades at the Lagarie home in Rhu, western Scotland, which closed in 1982.
It is more than a year since the abuse was laid bare by a BBC television documentary.
Rivers was interviewed and apologised for any abuse that happened.
McGuire said the Sailors’ Society employees who allegedly raped, beat, drugged and in some cases trafficked young boys and girls are all dead, but the charity has resisted paying out.
"We deeply regret that any child was abused at Lagarie and we have apologised unreservedly for any abuse that was suffered by children who were in the care of the British Sailors’ Society (Scotland) at that time," a spokesperson for the Sailors’ Society said at the time.
"The current Sailors’ Society is a very different organisation. Nobody involved in these historic events is connected in any way with the organisation now. We are no longer involved in running this, or any other children’s home, and today we have rigorous safeguarding measures in place."
