This campaign has now closed

The Sailors' Society exists to enhance and enrich seafarers' lives throughout the world and improve the quality of their wellbeing. The Society's project in Aberdeen is vital as Aberdeen Harbour is a major UK port. The =Society offers practical, emotional and spiitual support to seafarers in need, difficulty or crises through visiting their ships as they arrive in the port.

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Categories

  • Community Support & Development Community Support & Development
  • Disaster Relief Disaster Relief
  • Health/Wellbeing Health/​Wellbeing
  • Religious Religious
  • Beneficiaries

    • Women & Girls Women & Girls
    • Other Other

    Situation

    Seafarers are responsible for carrying over 95% of the trade upon which the global economy depends. Yet despite their numbers, they are a severely overlooked group on the margins of society. Seafaring is a dangerous occupation and all seafarers face long hours, hard work, and the loneliness of prolonged separation from their loved ones. With the average contract of a seafarer being one year, any opportunity to step ashore and refresh their minds and spirits is a highly valuable one. For all seafarers it represents a valuable opportunity to access telephone and internet facilities to contact family at home. The Sailors’ Society has a significant presence in Scotland with projects in Aberdeen, Leith, Dundee, Montrose, Arbroath, Grangemouth, and Greenock. The Sailors’ Society project in Aberdeen is vital as Aberdeen Harbor is an extremely busy and bustling port with an average of 47 vessels in port each day. The Society’s Port Chaplain here is Howard Drysdale who has been in the position for over seven years. Howard, as the only full time chaplain at the port, is ideally placed to deal with any issues that arise regarding social welfare. As there is no Seafarers’ Centre in Aberdeen most of Howard’s work takes place on board ships, or on the dockside itself. The many hours he spends speaking privately with seafarers on their ships has led to him being greatly appreciated as a man who cares, as well as a man they can trust. Many seafarers of different nationalities wait for the Port Chaplain to bring them their own national newspapers which he downloads every morning from the internet. The seafarers are delighted to receive such recent news of home. Howard, appreciating the need of seafarers’ to phone home after long periods of time at sea, has negotiated with the port authorities to ensure that telephones are available on the dockside. He provides discounted phone cards to seafarers’ and will offer them free when this is urgently needed During the winter Howard distributes woolly hats to seafarers. These are produced by volunteers from across the country who enthusiastically knit hats for seafarers. This simple gesture means a great deal to seafarers who can often feel forgotten and overlooked by mainstream society. At Christmas, these hats are included in Christmas parcels, again provided by volunteers, which contain an array of useful gifts for seafarers who are away from home at this special time of year. The Society is looking for funding for its chaplaincy in Aberdeen. It will cost £35,193 to run this service in 2010. This funding covers maintaining a minibus for the Port Chaplain to transport seafarers from the port to amenities, an allowance for providing emergency welfare, a salary for the Port Chaplain, and a small contribution to the Port Chaplain's accommodation.

    Solution

    100%
    Categories

  • Community Support & Development Community Support & Development
  • Disaster Relief Disaster Relief
  • Health/Wellbeing Health/​Wellbeing
  • Religious Religious
  • Beneficiaries

    • Women & Girls Women & Girls
    • Other Other