Social work abroad
The purpose of the Seamen’s Church’s social work is to strengthen and maintain the holistic well-being of Finns living and on the move in our areas of operation.
The Seamen’s Church’s social work abroad is carried out in the Benelux countries, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Northern Germany, and on Spain’s Costa del Sol.
The need for Finnish-language support abroad is significant, especially in challenging life situations, during different stages of family life with children, among people living alone, and among older adults. During the early stages of moving abroad, when social networks have often become smaller, access to support can otherwise be difficult.
“Thank you for this piece of Finland abroad! Visiting you feels like a deep, calming breath.”
One’s mother tongue is the language of emotions, and it is especially important to be able to use it when life feels difficult. In crisis situations abroad, Finnish-language support is invaluable.
Through low-threshold, holistic support provided in Finnish, the Seamen’s Churches aim to prevent social exclusion and crises and thereby reduce potential costs to individuals and society.
Group activities
Social work carried out abroad is shaped by the needs of each area of operation and the structure of the local Finnish population.
“The activities at the Seamen’s Church are extremely important to me — it’s something you simply can’t find anywhere else.”
Depending on the location, various open hobby and activity groups meet at the Seamen’s Churches in Brussels, Hamburg, London, and Rotterdam. These include, for example, children’s clubs, groups for young people and young adults, exercise groups, arts and culture clubs, and senior groups.
The purpose of groups that meet without professional facilitation is to enable participants to engage in activities for the benefit of their own community.
Facilitated group activities, on the other hand, are goal-oriented and aim to support the well-being of Finns abroad and improve their quality of life. Groups may also meet at locations other than the Seamen’s Church.
Read here about the impact of Seamen’s Church work abroad.
Individual guidance
An essential part of social work includes outreach social work and readiness to provide crisis support. People are met in a wide variety of settings, including ships, workplaces, homes, hospitals, prisons, schools, pubs, and more.
In addition to community work, social curators provide goal-oriented individual guidance, which can broadly be divided into three categories: advisory and assistance work, service guidance, and longer-term, goal-oriented individual support.
“The meetings always help me cope and move forward in life.”
Advisory work involves practical assistance, for example with older Finns abroad and others in need of help, as well as tourists and travelers who have encountered difficulties. Service guidance mainly relates to immigration and emigration matters, social and health services, and financial issues. The social curator works together with the client to find help from local support services and assists with matters related to dealing with authorities.
Longer-term individual support is provided to clients who need more regular assistance, for example in accessing mental health services or in situations that require ongoing accompaniment, such as coping with a sudden crisis.
In 2021, social work encounters reached more than 20,000 people in total.
Extensive cooperation network
The Seamen’s Church’s social work is carried out in cooperation with a wide range of partners at the local, European, and Finnish levels. Partners include Finnish organizations operating in the host countries, local authorities, and social welfare professionals. However, there are no other Finnish actors in our areas of operation that provide similar holistic well-being services.
The Seamen’s Church’s social work abroad is funded by STEA, the Funding Centre for Social Welfare and Health Organisations.
