Summer Appeal 2023

Help us continue to be a vital lifeline to seafarers in times of great distress

I heard some frightening news recently from Penny Phillips, our excellent, long-standing Centre Manager in Falmouth. Her story highlights just how valued and important you are to the Mission. As you’re about to see, it’s ongoing gifts from people like you that enable colleagues such as Penny to provide practical, emotional and spiritual support to seafarers in their moments of greatest need.

Huge cargo ship hits rocks off Cornwall

A few weeks ago, a large car-carrying ship, Mazarine, suffered engine failure near the Scilly Isles and hit rocks very close to the Wolf Rock Lighthouse off Land’s End, Cornwall. Thankfully, and perhaps miraculously, Mazarine did not capsize or sink. No one was hurt. Following a large rescue operation, the ship was towed into Falmouth. It was yet another reminder of the dangers of seafaring. Later that evening, Penny and her team were allowed on board to spend time with the crew which included members from the Philippines, Poland, and Ukraine.

Penny told me, “We were very well-received, and the free SIM cards were extremely welcome as there was no Wi-Fi on board, or available alongside the wharf. As well as handing out goodies, we left some Falmouth maps and Mission brochures, explaining that the Mission was inside the port and just a short walk away. The captain said we could be 300% sure that the Mission would be visited by the crew as soon as they were able to do so!”

You can imagine how good it felt for the 23 crew members to see kind and welcoming faces after days of trauma, anxiety and intense activity on top of very little sleep. What’s more they would have been desperate to speak to their families and reassure them of their safety.

Keeping seafarers connected to loved ones

Enabling communication has long been at the heart of our ministry. We believe every seafarer has a right to access fast, reliable Wi-Fi. While we welcome the increasing availability of free Wi-Fi onboard ships, as Penny has highlighted, this is far from universal.

This is one key area where your regular support could make a big difference to the lives of seafarers and their families.

Over the last 18 months, enabling good communications has become even more urgent with the war in Ukraine placing huge stress on Ukrainian and Russian seafarers and their families. Thanks to the support of generous donors like you, our port teams around the world have been able to give away free SIM Cards as part of our response to the conflict and its impact on crew members.

Dangers of loneliness and isolation at sea

Poor communications, long periods of separation from family and friends and limited support networks onboard often exacerbate feelings of extreme loneliness and isolation among seafarers. In these circumstances, it’s no wonder there is a high risk of suicide at sea which not only endangers the lives of those onboard, but also the safe running of the ship.

Showing how much ‘WeCare’ and believe in ‘SafeTALK’

At The Mission to Seafarers, we believe positive mental health and wellbeing is essential to every seafarer and their fellow crew as this helps to build confidence and team work while also improving safety onboard. That’s why I’m so excited to give you an update on our ground-breaking, WeCare programme.

In the last year alone, over 50,000 seafarers and their families have had access to our WeCare e-learning courses that focus on Financial and Social Wellbeing. These courses are empowering seafarers and their families to manage their mental health and strengthen personal relationships by developing practical life skills and strategies to cope with everyday challenges.

Given the pressures that seafarers are continually facing, we are committed to ensuring all our teams are confident when talking about suicide. Last year, we launched a new series of suicide alertness courses under the title SafeTALK to address this silent killer head on. Through this amazing programme, the Mission trained 219 Suicide Alert Helpers between March 2022 and July 2023. Together, they represent a network of 36 organisations operating in 15 ports across the UK, Netherlands, Belgium, and the Philippines.

The impact of SafeTALK on fostering crew welfare was recognised with a prestigious Safety4Sea Award in June this year. But this is only the start of this exciting journey. There’s so much more to be done which is why I’m asking you if you’d kindly consider becoming part of our family of regular givers.

For our Sea Sunday celebrations in July, I suggested a reading from the book of Jonah. It is a great story that includes the account of a brutal storm at sea. The book reminds us of the universality of God’s love and presence, even in the furthest reaches of the ocean. It is a love which, as Jonah discovers, is inclusive of every human being. The Mission continues its ministry of seeking to share that love in so many different ways. Supporting good communication is one very practical way in which we continue to do that.

Thank you for making all this possible by your prayers, your friendship, and your generosity.

With my sincere and heartfelt thanks.

The Revd. Canon Andrew Wright Secretary General

P.S. Please take this opportunity to start giving a regular gift to support seafarers and their families. Your generosity could help us save more lives and make our courses available to teams across the world.

Thank you.