Telephone: 01488 567890
Postal address:
Royal Merchant Navy Education Foundation
1a Charnham Lane
Hungerford
RG17 0EY
What this organisation does
The Royal Merchant Navy Education Foundation (RMNEF) is a UK maritime charity that helps children and young people from maritime families access educational opportunities when financial hardship or other circumstances create barriers to learning and development. The charity traces its origins back to 1827 and was established to support the children of British merchant seafarers through education.
Today, RMNEF provides educational funding and support to eligible children and young people from maritime backgrounds, helping them progress from early years education through to professional entry qualifications and career training.
For seafarers and maritime families experiencing financial difficulties, RMNEF may be able to help ensure that a child's education, training or development is not disrupted.
Who can use the service
RMNEF supports children and young people where at least one parent has served or is serving at sea in one of the following groups:
- Merchant Navy seafarers.
- Professional sea-going fishermen.
- RNLI lifeboat crew members.
- Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) personnel.
Support is generally available where families are no longer in a financial position to meet educational needs themselves and where a genuine need can be demonstrated. Eligibility is considered on an individual basis, including consideration of the parent's sea service and the family's circumstances.
RMNEF is a British national maritime children's educational charity.
Support available
RMNEF may provide support at various stages of a child or young person's educational journey, including:
- Daycare.
- Preschool or nursery education.
- Primary education.
- Secondary education.
- Further education.
- Higher education leading to professional entry qualifications.
- Career training.
- Apprenticeships leading to professional entry qualifications.
RMNEF assesses each application individually, considering factors such as:
- Financial circumstances.
- Domestic and family environment.
- Health-related circumstances.
- Educational needs and opportunities.
Features and benefits
RMNEF can help eligible maritime families by:
- Supporting children and young people throughout multiple stages of education.
- Helping families overcome financial barriers to learning and development.
- Providing support from early years education through to professional career-entry qualifications.
- Taking individual family circumstances into account rather than relying solely on fixed criteria.
- Focusing specifically on the needs of maritime families and seafaring communities.
The charity reports that it invests significantly in the development of its beneficiaries, whom it refers to as "Foundationers".
How to get help
- Review the eligibility information on the RMNEF website.
- Gather information about your maritime connection, educational needs and current financial circumstances.
- Visit the application section of the RMNEF website.
- Contact the charity if you are unsure whether you qualify.
- Submit an application and provide any supporting information requested by the charity.
Contact options:
Before making an enquiry, it may be helpful to prepare:
- Details of the parent's or guardian's maritime service.
- Information about the child's educational stage.
- Evidence of financial hardship or educational need if requested.
- Details of any training, education or qualification being pursued.
Eligibility decisions are made individually, and the charity considers both need and maritime service history.
[rmnef.org.uk]
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