Mersey Maritime hosted the 7th annual Mersey Maritime Industry Awards 2021 on Friday 17th September at Liverpool FC's Anfield Stadium, hosted by former BBC Breakfast presenter Louise Minchin.
The Awards was opened by HRH The Princess Royal, Princess Anne via a recorded message following her earlier visit to Mersey Maritime. Robert Courts MP, Undersecretary for State in the Department for Transport (DfT) and Maritime Minister gave the closing address to the audience:
“Maritime plays a vital role in all of our day to day the lives; contributing £46 billion pound to the economy each year and helping transport vital medicines and supplies – particularly during the pandemic.
“It was an honour to be at the Awards rightly acknowledging the sector for all they have done and looking towards the future.”
For the first time, the awards also included two national categories for Apprentice of the Year and Apprentice Employer of the Year, in partnership with Maritime UK. Another first was the unique Maritime Ambassador Award was given to an organisation rather than an individual – the Royal Navy. This award is always given in recognition of “outstanding dedication and achievement” and recognising the ‘Senior Service’ of the British armed forces in this way was the unanimous decision of the expert panel of judges, drawn from across the industry. All the winners were selected using a combination of a panel of maritime sector experts and an online vote of the wider maritime industry across the UK.
MAST was nominated for and won the Positive Impact Award, sponsored by OPS Wind, the second time MAST has won the award. The award was accepted by Sammy Holden, Jim O'Neil and Sheelagh McGovern on behalf of MAST.
MAST would like to thank all those who have supported over a very difficult 18 months during the pandemic and our team of volunteers who have thoroughly deserved the recognition this award brings, and thanks to all those who voted for us.