Member Article

Seafarers receive a warm Christmas welcome

The Port of Tyne is offering visiting ships’ crews an extra special Christmas this year, by providing phone cards for them to speak to their loved ones all over the world.

The Port is sponsoring the Mission to Seafarers to help crew members and others who are on their own or away from their families at this time of year.

Crews have been offered phone cards they could not otherwise afford, and other festive treats provide a warm welcome for them at the Port of Tyne this Christmas.

Mike Nicholson, Harbour Master, Port of Tyne, says: “The Mission to Seafarers donate their valuable time to supporting seafarers in 250 ports worldwide. We were more than happy to support this worthy cause in order to make the lives of those at sea more enjoyable over Christmas.”

The Mission to Seafarers care for victims of piracy, provide a lifeline to seafarers stranded in foreign ports and provide a space to relax, supporting the world’s 1.2 million seafarers.

Their services include ship-visiting, flying Angel centres, justice and welfare services, communication, counseling, transport, emergency support, post-trauma care, high-level advocacy and spiritual support.

Dianne Erskine, Welfare Officer for the Mission to Seafarers, says: “We are really grateful to the Port of Tyne for helping out at this time of year. It means a lot to those men who are away from home during the festive period. Any comfort that we can give is always appreciated and very well received.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .