'Genuinely rewarding' - Mission to Seafarers charity looking for volunteers in South Tyneside
Volunteers are needed to help provide a warm and welcoming environment for visiting seafarers.
South Tyneside charity The Mission to Seafarers is looking for new volunteers to join them and help support the seafarers who visit the River Tyne.
Founded in 1856, the Mission to Seafarers has now provided “practical, emotional and spiritual support to seafarers and their families” for 170 years.
Today, the charity continues to offer a friendly welcome as well as a helping hand to those who spend their working lives away at sea, which often means being far from home for many months at a time.
The charity is currently recruiting volunteer centre workers, drivers and volunteer ship visitors to join up with its team in South Shields.
Centre volunteers are needed to help provide a warm and welcoming environment for visiting seafarers, assisting with refreshments, shop sales and practical needs while offering a friendly face and a listening ear.
Volunteer drivers use Mission to Seafarers vehicles to transport seafarers between their ships, the centre and local shops and services, giving them a valuable opportunity to get ashore during their limited time in port.
All of the volunteers are to receive the training and support they need for their roles.
Shane Moore is the Mission to Seafarers’ Regional Chaplain for the North East of England.
He said: “Seafarers play a vital role in our everyday lives, bringing into the country many of the goods we all rely upon, yet their work can be extremely demanding and isolating.
“Our volunteers provide a friendly face and a warm welcome when a ship arrives on the Tyne. You do not need a maritime background - just a willingness to help and offer some of your time.
“Whether welcoming seafarers at our centre or helping them get ashore, it is a genuinely rewarding way to make a difference.”
Further information about the volunteering opportunities now available across the North East, as well as other information about the historic charity, can be found at the Mission’s website - www.mtsnortheast.org.
Anyone who might be interested in a voluntary role, or who would like an informal conversation before applying for one, should please email Shane at [email protected].