ABOUT SEACOM

SEA Mission

South East Asian Communities CIC is the UK's first national-scale platform for South East Asian and ASEAN-heritage communities built to end the invisibility of over one million people who have long sustained British society without recognition.

"Over one million people of South East Asian heritage live in the UK. SEA COM makes them visible."
SEACOM— ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION 2026
Our Story

Founded on a
Simple Injustice

Filipino, Vietnamese, Thai, Malaysian, Singaporean, Indonesian, Burmese, Cambodian, Lao, East Timorese, and Bruneian communities have been part of British life for generations. They built our docks, staffed our hospitals, and enriched our food and culture yet their contributions remain unrecognised, their data uncollected, and their voices unheard at a national level.

The census collapses them all into "Other Asian." Less than 0.2% of UK foundation funding reaches them. No national organisation has spoken in their name — until now.

SEACOM was founded to change that. We are a Community Interest Company limited by guarantee to serve the community rather than shareholders. Every pound we raise goes directly back into the platform that makes South East Asian communities visible.

Our Journey
2024
Founding moment. SEACOM CIC incorporated as a Community Interest Company. The founding vision: a national platform for every ASEAN-heritage community in the UK.
2025
ASEAN Tides conceived. The flagship maritime heritage programme takes shape — oral histories of Filipino seafarers and Vietnamese boat people, anchored in Liverpool's docks.
2026
Heritage Summit launched. First annual conference and awards dinner 300 attendees, sold out, 100+ on the waiting list. Corporate partnership prospectus opens.
2027
NLHF grant in progress. Development grant application up to £250,000 submitted. The ASEAN Almanac — a national data report — moves into production. Six port cities on the heritage trail.
Communities We Serve

Eleven Nations.
One Platform.

SEACOM represents the full breadth of ASEAN heritage in the UK all eleven sovereign nations and their diaspora communities. We reject the "Other Asian" erasure. Each community has its own history, culture, and contribution to British life. We honour them all.

🇵🇭
Filipino
Philippines
🇻🇳
Vietnamese
Vietnam
🇹🇭
Thai
Thailand
🇲🇾
Malaysian
Malaysia
🇸🇬
Singaporean
Singapore
🇮🇩
Indonesian
Indonesia
🇲🇲
Burmese
Myanmar
🇰🇭
Cambodian
Cambodia
🇱🇦
Lao
Laos
🇧🇳
Bruneian
Brunei
🇹🇱
East Timorese
Timor-Leste
What We Believe

Our Four Principles

01
Visibility is the root cause
Every downstream problem underfunding, policy neglect, absence from heritage is a symptom of invisibility. Solve visibility and every other pillar becomes possible.
02
Heritage grounds belonging
Without a place in the national story, communities cannot fully belong. ASEAN Tides puts South East Asian heritage where it has always deserved to be in British institutions.
03
Data drives policy change
The ASEAN Almanac exists because "Other Asian" is not a data point policymakers can act on. Disaggregated, community-verified data is how we move from invisible to served.
04
Community own the narrative
SEA COM is built by and for South East Asian communities — not a charity speaking on our behalf, but a platform amplifying our own voices, stories, and ambitions.
The Team

The People Behind SEACOM

TN
Tuan Nguyen
Founding Director
British national with deep roots across ASEAN, Tuan founded SEACOM to create the national platform that South East Asian communities in the UK have long deserved. He brings a background spanning cross-border investment, civic infrastructure, and community organising across ten ASEAN sovereign nations.
tuan@seacom.org.uk
PE
Peter Evans
CHAIRMAN OF ADVISORY BOARD
Formerly Global Director at LEGO Group & Directorships at GE Capital Aviation Services, Maersk Line, Vodafone, and Virgin Media. With experience spanning Denmark, the Czech Republic, Singapore, Mexico, and beyond, Peter champions a people-first approach, inclusive culture, and leadership through collaboration. As Chair, he brings his passion for learning through play, teamwork, and sustainability to drive strategic and global partnerships.
peter@seacom.org.uk
WK
William Knight
FINANCIAL ADVISOR

William Knight is a co-founding partner of Emerisque Brands, an East-West technology based investment firm for branded consumer products). He is also a partner in Potentia Inc. His responsibility covers  emerging markets including China.

As a Board member of or adviser to companies with a focus on the Indo-Asia Pacific region, he has been co-chairing the South Asia group at the  UK Institute of Directors and  the China UK Business  Development Centre.

william@seacom.org.uk
LYF
Dr Le Yi Fong
NON EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
British national with deep roots across ASEAN, Tuan founded SEA COM CIC to create the national platform that South East Asian communities in the UK have long deserved. He brings a background spanning cross-border investment, civic infrastructure, and community organising across ten ASEAN sovereign nations.
JB
Jeff Barnes
Governance & Strategy

A Philanthropist with a long standing experienced career in financial planning and business management – this has seen the awards of honorary professorship and honorary doctorate in finance. He is the founder and Managing Director of Grosvenor Beaumont Financial Services Limited – an FCA regulated company and a Regional Chairman of the Personal Finance Society - the professional body for the financial planning community. He is the founder and Managing Director of Wealth Capital Partners Limited as a boutique ethical multifamily office.


jeff@seacom.org.uk
SA
Samad Ansari
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Executive Director at Goldman Sachs with 15 years of experience across Investment Management, Banking, and Legal sectors. Formerly Group Development Director at Linden Hill Capital Management, he specialised in fundamental investment analysis, site selection, and capital structure management. Samad brings expertise in financial management and funding while offering valuable industry insights and investor-focused opportunities that drive value creation.

samad@seacom.org.uk

Let's Build This
Together

Whether you are a community member, a funder, a corporate partner, or a journalist — SEA COM is here. We are the UK's first national platform for South East Asian communities, and we are just getting started.

Become a Partner →
Download Data Room
Email
hello@seacomcic.org
Director
Tuan Nguyen, Founding Director