Author: Lisa Gibbs

Harwich Haven Authority (HHA) has celebrated a bumper month of awards – which has seen its name in the spotlight at three prestigious ceremonies nationwide.

October has seen the trust port, responsible for managing the waterways surrounding ports including Felixstowe, Harwich and Ipswich, shortlisted in both national and regional competitions.

Highlights included being crowned the most Inclusive Workplace at the British Ports Association Awards, alongside being highly commended in the East of England National Apprenticeship and Skills Awards (East of England).

Speaking after the BPA Awards win, Helen Rudd, Strategy and Partnerships Director at HHA, said:

“We’re incredibly proud to receive this national recognition. Inclusivity isn’t just something we talk about – it’s embedded in how we operate, how we recruit, and how we support our people. This award is testament to the hard work, passion, and belief of every member of our team who is helping us shape a more diverse and inclusive future for maritime.”

Helen added the organisation also took great pride in being highly commended for its apprenticeship programme – with two recent graduates of the scheme, Lucy McCain and Jorden Gleave, forming HHA’s first ever all-female pilot launch crew.

She said:

“Our apprenticeships are about more than training – they’re about opportunity. By creating a culture where everyone can thrive, regardless of background or gender, we’re not only shaping the future of our workforce but helping to change perceptions across the entire industry. This month is recognition of the values we live every day. But it’s also a reminder of what’s possible when we work together to make maritime a place where everyone belongs.”

HHA was also shortlisted in the SME and VCSE Leadership category at the Social Value Awards.

The organisation continues to make great strides to increase its social value output, through initiatives such as the apprenticeship scheme, volunteering, spending locally and charitable giving – generating more than £5m in social value in 2024 – with ambitions set on further significant increases.

In total, HHA was shortlisted for five awards across the month.

Harwich Haven Authority (HHA) has been named Inclusive Workplace of the Year at the British Ports Association (BPA) Conference 2025, recognising the organisation’s outstanding commitment to creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment for its people.

The award celebrates the Authority’s ongoing work to champion inclusivity across every level of its operations and highlights a series of groundbreaking initiatives that are setting new standards for equity in the maritime sector.

A standout example of this commitment is the formation of the UK’s first all-female launch crew, a milestone made possible through HHA’s innovative Apprenticeship Programme. This pioneering team has become a symbol of progress in an industry traditionally underrepresented by women, demonstrating that meaningful change comes through sustained, intentional action.

Helen Rudd, Strategy & Partnerships Director, said:

“We’re incredibly proud to receive this national recognition. Inclusivity isn’t just something we talk about – it’s embedded in how we operate, how we recruit, and how we support our people. This award is testament to the hard work, passion, and belief of every member of our team who is helping us shape a more diverse and inclusive future for maritime.”

A Culture of Inclusion

Over the past 18 months, HHA has introduced a wide range of initiatives to build a truly inclusive workplace. These include:

• Redesigned recruitment practices to attract a more diverse pool of candidates, featuring gender-neutral language, inclusive imagery, and promotion of family-friendly policies.

• Enhanced parental leave well above statutory requirements, supporting mothers, fathers, adopters, and carers equally.

• Flexible working and phased retirement options for older employees, helping to retain invaluable expertise while supporting wellbeing and work-life balance.

• Transparent pay and progression frameworks and above Real Living Wage salaries for all apprentices, ensuring fairness and accessibility for all.

• Inclusive leadership training for managers and executives, embedding awareness and accountability at every level of the organisation.

These collective efforts have delivered tangible results: a 50/50 gender balance across both the Board and Executive teams, a 3% rise in applications from women since 2024, and growing representation of women in traditionally male-dominated operational roles.

The Power of Apprenticeships

HHA’s Apprenticeship Programme has been a cornerstone of this success, providing structured development pathways for individuals from all backgrounds. Apprentices gain hands-on experience across marine operations, engineering, and vessel traffic services, supported by mentoring, accredited training, and industry engagement opportunities.

Two female marine apprentices from the programme recently earned permanent operational roles within the Authority, forming the country’s first all-female launch crew — a breakthrough moment for gender equality in maritime.

“Our apprenticeships are about more than training – they’re about opportunity,” added Helen Rudd. “By creating a culture where everyone can thrive, regardless of background or gender, we’re not only shaping the future of our workforce but helping to change perceptions across the entire industry.”

Looking Ahead

As the Authority continues to grow, inclusivity remains central to its People Plan and long-term strategy. HHA is committed to further embedding diversity, equity, and wellbeing into its culture — ensuring that every employee, from apprentices to executives, has the opportunity to reach their full potential.

“This award is recognition of the values we live every day,” said Helen Rudd. “But it’s also a reminder of what’s possible when we work together to make maritime a place where everyone belongs.”

Harwich Haven Authority are delighted to announce that they have been awarded ‘Highly Commended’ at the East of England National Apprenticeship & Skills Awards 2025.

This fantastic recognition celebrates the outstanding work the team do to support and develop apprentices, nurture talent, and invest in the skills that power the organisation’s future.

After being named a finalist earlier this year, members of the team attended the regional awards ceremony on Wednesday 8 October at the Hilton Cambridge City Centre. The event brought together employers, training providers, and apprentices from across the region to celebrate excellence in apprenticeships and skills development.

Pilot Launch Services Manager Mark Avenell, said:

“It was a great honour to accept this award on behalf of Harwich Haven Authority. I’d like to give a special mention to our colleagues who support and develop our apprentices every step of the way throughout their journey. I’d also like to thank our training partner, SeaRegs, for their continued collaboration and commitment.”

Reflecting on the event, Gemma Mills, Talent Acquisition Advisor, added:

“It was truly inspiring to be in a room full of employers who are so passionate about developing apprenticeships and nurturing future talent. Together, we’re helping to build the skills, expertise, and opportunities that are vital to the future of our industry and the wider country.”

Being Highly Commended is a tremendous achievement and highlights the incredible dedication of everyone involved in the Authority’s apprenticeship and early careers programmes. It reinforces the organisation’s ongoing commitment to Connecting as One Team – working together to create opportunities, inspire growth, and build a skilled and sustainable workforce for the future.

Harwich Haven Authority has been shortlisted in three categories at this year’s British Ports Association (BPA) Awards – recognising the organisation’s commitment to safeguard the region’s trade gateway to the world.

It has been shortlisted in all three categories it entered: SME Port of the Year, Inclusive Workplace and Port Sustainability.

Helen Rudd, Strategy & Partnerships Director at HHA, said:

“It is great to have our hard work recognised once again, especially from an organisation as prestigious as the BPA.

“We strive to support the haven and its communities, preserving our environment and the wellbeing and prosperity of all those who live around us – and there are so many strings to our bow.

“We are committed to making HHA a great place to work for our employees, championing diversity and inclusion throughout our incredible team.”

This is the latest in a series of shortlist announcements for HHA, which has also been named as finalists in two other upcoming ceremonies.

Its bumper month of awards nights will start with the National Apprenticeship and Skills Awards on October 8, before the BPA Awards on October 16 and the Social Value Awards on October 23.

Helen added:

“This is a really exciting time for us as our organisation continues to grow and flourish, having already celebrated so many milestones in recent years.

“We’re committed to going even further, cementing the haven’s place as Britain’s trade gateway to the world and ensuring those economic benefits are felt across our region.

“Likewise, we will strive to continue supporting our environment and maximising social value, creating a blueprint for fellow trust ports across the country.”

 

A team of volunteers have come out in force in Harwich for a big beach litter pick as part of a national environmental campaign.

The beach clean, close to the town’s sailing club, was organised by Harwich Haven Authority (HHA) as part of the Marine Conservation Society’s fortnight-long Great British Beach Clean event.

Employees from HHA were joined by volunteers from a variety of local charities and organisations, including the Mayflower Primary School, Trinity House and Home-Start Harwich, alongside members of the Harwich community.

Linzi Jobber, HHA’s Sustainability Manager, said:

“As a Trust Port we see ourselves as custodians of the environment in our communities. With this in mind we always want to support initiatives which help keep our wonderful beaches clean.

“We all know that ocean plastic pollution is a big problem worldwide and while the scale of this issue may seem overwhelming there are things everyone can do to play their part.

“We hope by running a litter pick locally we will encourage more people to love the environment where they live and want to do their bit to protect it for future generations to enjoy.

“If a beach is litter-free it can help put off people dropping litter in the first place and perhaps take on a litter pick themselves too.

“In support of the event, we also refilled the beach’s ‘two-minute clean’ stations, which contain litter picking tools and reusable bags both made from recycled ocean plastics.

“The idea was to go out and collect as much litter as we could, which we logged with the Marine Conservation Society via an app.

“This information is then used to give a picture of how clean our beaches are nationwide, helping organisations such as the Marine Conservation Society lobby government for change.”

The event in Harwich was one of almost 250 beach cleans taking place throughout the two-week initiative.

“The beach clean also took place a day before World Maritime Day, which I think was a perfect way to mark the occasion,” said Linzi.

The beach clean forms part of HHA’s Coastal Discoveries scheme, which also includes HHA’s beach school events, offering schoolchildren the chance to learn about the coastal environment and spark a love of nature.

For more information on HHA’s beach schools programme and to book a place, visit www.hha.co.uk/news/thousands-of-children-from-essex-and-suffolk-to-take-part-in-beach-school-workshops

 

One of Britain’s largest trust ports is in the running for a national award following its record-breaking year in generating social value.

Harwich Haven Authority (HHA)’s work generated an incredible £5.1million in social value in 2024, representing a 20% increase on the previous year and the organisation’s highest amount ever.

The trust port, which oversees 150 square miles of water off the East Anglian coast, has made social value a core tenet of the business, covering social, local and economic themes.

That work has seen it shortlisted for the SME & VCSE Leadership Award at this year’s Social Value Awards in Birmingham.

Linzi Jobber, Sustainability Manager at HHA, said:

“We are delighted to have been shortlisted for this year’s award.

“As a trust port deeply connected to our community, we’ve placed social value generation at the very heart of our business.

“This isn’t a box ticking exercise – it’s about achieving positive impacts for all those who live and work in the haven, ensuring the benefits of our successes are felt throughout our community.”

HHA uses the TOMs Framework, created by the Social Value Portal, to measure its impact across its key themes.

Highlights in 2024 included delivering more than £1.2m towards the environment through its carbon reduction measures, while £3.2m was delivered through employing locally for 108 full-time positions.

Other initiatives included the launch of its Coastal Discoveries project, giving more than 2,000 Key Stage 1 and 2 pupils the chance to take part in Beach School workshops.

Its staff also provided more than 125 hours of community project volunteering, while almost £60,000 was invested in local community projects.

Linzi added: “We would like to extend our thanks to all of our partner organisations – including the amazing charities and non-profits we work alongside in making a genuine difference to those in our community.

“As an organisation we will continue to strive to increase our social value delivery for the benefit of all.”

The winner of this year’s award will be unveiled at the Social Value Awards final on Thursday, October 23.

More information on HHA and its social value principles can be found in its latest annual report via www.annual-report.hha.co.uk.

Following the announcement from Stena Line that Harwich Haven Authority’s CEO Sarah West will be leaving to take up a new role with them at the end of November, we are pleased to confirm that CFO Jake Storey will step into the role as Interim CEO.

Jake will begin his tenure as Interim CEO on 01 December.

Recruitment is underway to fill the CEO role on a permanent basis and Sarah’s successor will be announced in due course.

We wish them both the very best of luck in their new roles.

 

 

In the early hours of Friday morning (12 September 2025), the MSC Siena arrived into the Port of Felixstowe from the Far East with a deep draught of 17.1m.

This is only the second time a vessel of this depth has arrived in UK waters and equals the record set by the MSC Elenoire in November 2024.

The 366m vessel, which is only a year old, was expertly crewed by Harwich Haven Authority Senior Pilot Simon Browne who met her 16 miles out at sea and piloted her into the Haven until she was safely alongside on Berth 8.

Harwich Haven Authority Harbour Master Will Barker said:

“The Harwich deep water channel is the only channel of its kind that can accommodate such deep vessels in the UK. Bringing in a vessel of this draught takes a huge amount of work in planning, coordinating and teamwork and delivering this significant maritime achievement highlights the world-class expertise and infrastructure we have here at Harwich Haven Authority. 

We’re proud to play our part in enabling global trade by ensuring the safe, efficient arrival of the world’s largest ships, even at their deepest.”

Video credit: Jeff Welch, JW Shipping Photography