UK News

Ophthalmic Surgeon, Richard Newsom (46) from the New Forest, will be attending the Southampton Boat Show this year but not because he is buying a boat.  Instead he is joining  Mercy Ships, which is exhibiting at the show for the first time.

Richard volunteered onboard its ship, the Africa Mercy,  in Liberia last year for two weeks and was overwhelmed by the facilities onboard and the selfless volunteers that give up their lives to help the needs of others.   read more »

Billy Walsh (22) from Youghal in Cork has recently returned from volunteering with Mercy Ships, after playing his part to help doctors provide free medical and humanitarian care to the world’s poorest people.

Third Officer Billy, came across the Africa Mercy, the world’s largest charity hospital ship, while working in Benin on a container vessel.   read more »

Mercy Ships has received a valuable donation worth over £30,000 from Beauty Express, leading suppliers of professional beauty products and equipment.

The donation includes a variety of brand new uniforms and shoes that will be used on board the Africa Mercy and in a variety of local clinics and hospitals that partner with Mercy Ships in Africa.

There are more than 450 volunteers on board the Africa Mercy, ranging from surgeons, nurses, cooks, cleaners and engineers, who all share the same goal – to help improve the lives of the poorest of the poor.   read more »

Friends and colleagues, Andrew Curran (32), Chris Williamson (32) and brothers Jerome (32) and Jeremie (23) Vittoz, successfully swam the English Channel this week in a challenge of a lifetime to raise money for Mercy Ships to help provide free medical care to the world’s poorest people.   read more »

The sensational sounds of the Beechcroft Chapel Choir will be heard at the Battersea Arts Centre on the 5th September at a Black and White fundraising ball in aid of Mercy Ships.

Guests attending ‘A night to remember’ will be entertained by the renowned Beechcroft Chapel Choir and will enjoy a fashion show, international gospel dancers, prizes, auctions and a four course meal.   read more »

On the 6th June at Welwyn Garden City’s picturesque Stanborough Lake, families, businesses and spectators will see teams of  local companies  from across Hertfordshire battle it out in a race across the lake to raise money for Mercy Ships.

The Mercy Ships boat race is in its third year and has proved a popular and fun family day out.

The all important awards ceremony after the race to crown the winners of the 2009 Dragon Boat Race will be presented by Councillor, Kim Langley, Borough mayor for Welwyn and Hatfield.  read more »

Mercy Ships is celebrating International Nurses Day today (12th May) to honour volunteer nurses who serve with the charity. 

Over the last 30 years, nurses from all over the UK have given up their time and volunteered with Mercy Ships to help people less fortunate than themselves, bringing hope and healing to thousands of patients suffering at the hands of poverty.

International Nurses Day recognises the remarkable work that nurses do around the globe and the comfort they bring to patients undergoing surgeries and medical care.   read more »

The founders of Mercy Ships were honoured with a humanitarian award at a glittering ceremony in London last night (5th May) 

The annual Variety Club International Humanitarian Award, whose previous winners include Sir Winston Churchill and Audrey Hepburn, was given to Don and Deyon Stephens who founded Mercy Ships in 1978. 

It was in that year the couple had a dream to find a ship, equip it as a hospital, fill it with volunteer crew and sail round the world providing life saving medical care to the poorest of the poor.  read more »

It was a bright spring morning in late April when three athletes took on the challenge of finishing this year’s Flora London Marathon, while raising sponsorships for Mercy Ships.

Despite the rising temperature during the early afternoon, all three British runners completed the 26.2 mile course successfully.

The first runner, Dr Emmanuel Gye from Oldham, has been a regular supporter of Mercy Ships since 2004 and feels so inspired that he hopes to volunteer on the ship in the future.  read more »

Mercy Ships urgently needs runners to participate in the following events to raise vital funds for our life-changing work in Africa:  read more »