A CHRISTIAN charity which looks after the welfare of seafarers now has a branch in Jersey.
And this month a representative from the national office of Apostleship of the Sea was in the Island to speak to schoolchildren about the charity’s work.
Sheila Bailey, the charity’s director of fund-raising and communications, visited De La Salle, Beaulieu and FCJ schools on Monday and Tuesday and also met local volunteers and Island clergy who set up the local group.
Apostleship of the Sea was set up in 1922 and ran hostels where seafarers could stay while their ships were in port – often for weeks at a time.
The turnaround of ships has now greatly increased but the charity still provides centres for seafarers while they are in port, facilities to contact their families and an opportunity to stock up on essentials.
It also provides volunteers who visit ships in port to assess the practical needs of those on board.
In the past, volunteers have helped seafarers in a variety of ways, from securing better wages and facilities to providing phone cards for them to call home. The Jersey branch now has six volunteers and runs out of the Welcome Centre at St Thomas’ Church.
During her visit, Mrs Bailey, whose husband worked at sea for over 30 years, spoke to students about the harsh realities of a life at sea.
For more information about the Jersey branch people should contact Terry Brown on 07797 714471 or by e-mail at tabro@localdial.com. Information on the charity as a whole is available at www.apostleshipofthesea.org.uk.
• Picture: Sheila Bailey, the director of fund-raising and communications for the Apostleship of the Sea, with volunteer Terry Brown. Picture by Richard Wainwright (00631322)
