Flying Angel News Issue 1

Flying Angel News

News from The Mission to Seafarers | Summer 2011 | Issue 1

Caring for seafarers around the world Charity numbers: 212432 / SC039211

On your side: MtS fights for justice at sea

IN THIS

• MtS chaplain saves seafarer’s life

• UK indicates support for armed vessels

ISSUE

• The Princess Royal visits UK centres

• Director of chaplaincy visits Indian ports

• MtS combats injustice at sea

• Meet our new community fundraisers

Contents

Dates for your diary

From the

29th September

MtS Annual Service at St Michael Paternoster Royal, London

12th October

Annual National Service for Seafarers, followed by MtS Supporters’ Reception

10th November

London Flying Angel Committee’s Autumn Christmas Fayre

7th December

Nine Lessons and Carols at St Michael Paternoster Royal

Get on your bike for the Mission!

You could cycle from capital to coast, or all the way from London to Paris raising funds for MtS…

London to Brighton

A tough but exhilarating day’s ride, this event attracts over 1,000 riders each year. You’ll cycle 54 miles through rolling countryside, finishing on the famous Brighton seafront.

Expeditions and challenges We have lots of exciting sporting events and challenges taking place over the next few months.

London to Paris

First London to Paris cycle ride

11th September

London to Brighton cycle ride

15th September

Cyclothon UK event

18th September

Tour of the Kingdom cycle ride, MtS Scotland

21st-25th September

Second London to Paris cycle ride

1st-10th December

First Kilimanjaro trek

21st-30th June 2012

Second Kilimanjaro trek

Cycle through picturesque English countryside and charming French villages on this four-day ride. With long days it’s not for the faint-hearted, but the Eiffel Tower makes for a grand finish.

Discover Africa: The Kilimanjaro challenge

We’re excited to offer places on an incredible trek to the summit of Africa’s magnificent Mount Kilimanjaro. Passing through the plains of Tanzania, this amazing 10-day trip combines dense rainforest, volcanic craters and high altitude glaciers.

For more info about any of these events, contact us on: 020 7248 5202 or at: challenge@missiontoseafarers.org

MtS joins Fundraising Standards Board’s good practice scheme The Mission to Seafarers is now a member of the Fundraising Standards Board’s ‘Give with confidence’ scheme. The FRSB is the independent self-regulatory body for UK fundraising, with over 1,300 members. From now on you will see the FRSB’s tick logo on our materials as a mark of our commitment to maintaining high standards in all our fundraising work. For more information, see: www.frsb.org.uk

Find out more See the info on the left for challenge dates. Our team offers support with preparation and fundraising for all our events. To get involved or find out more about any of these challenges, contact us on: 020 7248 5202 or at: challenge@missiontoseafarers.org

Flying Angel News is published by The Mission to Seafarers HRH The Princess Royal Robert Woods CBE Secretary General: The Revd Tom Heffer

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elcome to your new-look FAN, a greener and better value Flying Angel News, but one still crammed to the gunwales with stories about the Mission’s work around the world which your wonderful support makes possible. I hope you’ll enjoy your quarterly newsletter in this compact format, and soon become ‘fans’ yourselves!

Caring for seafarers

Founded in 1856 and entirely funded by voluntary donations, the around the world Mission to Seafarers offers emergency assistance, practical support, Charity numbers: 212432 / SC039211 and a friendly welcome to crews visiting 230 ports around the world.

Whether caring for victims of piracy or providing a lifeline to those stranded in foreign ports, we are there for the globe’s 1.2 million merchant seafarers of all ranks, nationalities and beliefs.

Progress on piracy

In loss or loneliness, in sickness, sorrow or shipwreck, who cares for the seafarer? We do. Too often, we are the only help on offer for men and women who can’t go home after a hard day’s work. We’re there for a seafarer stranded without money or passport in a foreign port, there for another rescued from a burning ship, there for the young man who has just heard his wife has died in childbirth, or his father has been rushed to hospital.

So a very warm thank you for your inspiring support which enables us to take forward John Ashley’s important legacy and to be there, come hell or high water, for the often marginalised men and women who keep our whole world afloat.

Interview with Huw Mosford

Mission news • • •

• • • •

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Chaplain’s swift action helps save seafarer’s life Second time lucky as The Princess Royal visits UK centres Liberian Shipping Registry supports MtS

Community news

• • • • •

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Our director of chaplaincy, the Revd Canon Huw Mosford, talks about his recent trip to India and Sri Lanka

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Meet Rebecca and Nicola All in a day’s work for Mark Sea Sunday 2011 Farewell to Phyllis

News from the ports

www.missiontoseafarers.org

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MtS welcomes better protection for seafarers as the UK Government prepares to support private security on board ships

In March, we marked 125 years since the death of man-with-a-mission the Revd Dr John Ashley. Our founder would be delighted to see his charity in such good heart as it continues caring for seafarers and their families during these challenging times. But I am equally conscious that he would be disappointed that our work is still so necessary, despite the affluence and sophistication of the modern shipping industry. Piracy, abandonment, disgusting living conditions, bullying and depression remain looming issues for many of those who transport 95 per cent of the world’s goods from shore to store.

St Michael Paternoster Royal, College Hill, London EC4R 2RL Tel: +44 (0)20 7248 5202 Fax: +44 (0)20 7248 4761 Email: fan@missiontoseafarers.org Website: www.missiontoseafarers.org Editor: Anna Emerson Cover image: Jamie Smith

In the UK, The Mission to Seafarers is a charitable company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales, number: 6220240, registered charity no: 1123613. The Mission to Seafarers Scotland Limited is a company limited by guarantee, registered in Scotland, number: 389483, registered charity in Scotland: SCO41938. Registered office: 109 Avalon Gardens, Linlithgow Bridge, Linlithgow, West Lothian, EH49 7PL.

125 years since the death of founder John Ashley, his work remains all too necessary

In particular, may I welcome those of you who are receiving FAN for the first time as we continue to improve the ways in which we keep you informed about the vital assistance your support enables us to give seafarers in far-flung ports.

With my prayers and best wishes,

President: Chairman of the Council:

Justice: his 2 mission, our Mission

The Revd Tom Heffer

For more info about any of these events, contact Stuart Bell on 020 7246 2919 or at: events@missiontoseafarers.org

31st August-4th Sept

In this issue...

Secretary General

Events

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Christchurch Grangemouth Fremantle Hong Kong & UK Penny represents MtS at Buckingham Palace

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Justice: his mission, our Mission

Injustice

Abandoned crews can find themselves stranded with no pay and no way to return home to their families.

125 years since the death of MtS founder the Revd Dr John Ashley, the work he began remains as urgent as ever

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he work of MtS founder John Ashley, who died 125 years ago in March, is as vital and urgent today as it was in the nineteenth century, when he first pioneered the welfare initiatives that would become The Mission to Seafarers.

Clambering aboard vessels in all weathers, the early MtS ship visitors brought support to men of the poorest class who were not used to being cared about. Many sailors had no homes, and the sea, with its brutal discipline and high risk of accident and disease, was their only livelihood. Sailors saw shipmates washed overboard or dashed on the deck after a fall from the rigging. If they tried to jump a ship that was unseaworthy, they risked being arrested and jailed. In port, they were preyed upon by ‘crimpers’ who swindled them out of their wages.

Many 21st century seafarers still find themselves friendless and alone, far from everyone they love and everything they know. When they are maltreated, denied shore leave, or ripped off, they need the advice, support and know-how of MtS staff as much as any sailor on the clippers of old.

Horrifyingly, the incidence of suicide in seafaring is three times higher than in any land occupation. For those trapped on a bad ship, it is not hard to imagine why. Too often pushed into the ocean life by desperate poverty and the need to support a family, many a ‘lower deck’ rating is vulnerable to bullying, physical and sexual abuse, racism or exploitation, while overwork, fatigue, fear and simple boredom can be routine. And there is no one to tell, no-one to comfort and no-one to advise. You cannot phone home and you cannot escape.

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During the last decade, the International Commission on Shipping heard evidence that thousands of seafarers, employed on 10-15 per cent of the world’s ships, “work in slave conditions, with minimal safety, long hours for little or no pay, starvation diets, rape and beatings”. Thankfully, such ships are a disreputable minority, but even one is unacceptable.

for a stranded crew to receive fresh drinking water, or find them a union rep, a translator, a doctor or a consular official. Often the MtS works quietly when seafarers fear being victimised or permanently blacklisted if they voice a complaint.

Today’s Mission is building its capacity to campaign in the corridors of power. Just as the early MtS helped to eradicate crimping, the modern MtS works to have seafarers considered in fair trade arguments, to have their justice needs addressed, and to help this unseen and often marginalised community to make its voice truly heard.

as the seafarers who make them. Sometimes that means the MtS paying the fare to fly an abandoned seafarer home to his wife and children, or negotiating with the shipowner for injury compensation or unpaid wages. An MtS chaplain might arrange

Flying Angel News | The magazine of The Mission to Seafarers | Summer 2011 | Issue 1

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he Revd Dr John Ashley was one of several eminent Victorians whose belief in the dignity and value of the individual stood in contrast to an industrial age driven by profit. The Earl of Shaftesbury championed the rights of the vulnerable; William Wilberforce struggled for the abolition of slavery and Dr Barnardo established homes for distressed children. Dr Ashley’s passion was for aiding the neglected merchant sailors on whose straining backs the global maritime empire was being built.

The bewhiskered and buttoned-up John Ashley gazes from his portrait like some Establishment worthy, when in fact he and other changemakers were flatly the reverse.

These firebrands were the Geldofs and Bonos of their day, human rights activists speaking up for the underdog and challenging Britain’s vested interests and new industrialists.

A cry for help

Rats, poor food, infested bedding, discrimination, assault – if you have a problem on land you can get help from the police, your union or your council. But if you are a Filipino on a flagof-convenience ship en route from Europe to Africa, what laws protect you? Who speaks up for you? Who is on your side?

The answer for many is The Mission to Seafarers. Around the world, the MtS network is on call for demands as varied

“Thousands of seafarers work in slave conditions, with minimal safety, long hours, little or no pay, starvation diets, and beatings”

Care in an industrial age

Today, John Ashley’s spirit lives on in our work around the world. As well as offering a caring presence in 230 ports, we champion seafarers’ rights at the highest levels, working with the shipping industry, the UN and international powers to improve conditions for those at sea.

In June, seafarers arriving at the Port of Tyne contacted our centre asking for urgent assistance. They said they had not been paid for weeks, were working 20-hour days on a sub-standard vessel and had barely any food on the ship. Working with partners from the Apostleship of the Sea we delivered supplies, provided phone cards so the crew could make vital contact with their families, and notified the International Transport Workers’ Federation who negotiated with the shipping company for the men to be paid at the next port. www.missiontoseafarers.org

www.facebook.com/missiontoseafarers

In Ashley’s day chaplains often had to board ships by climbing a rope in perilous seas.

@flyingangelnews

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Mission news

Mission news

Chaplain’s swift action saves seafarer’s life

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hen the Revd Simon Dharmaraj received an email from Felix Capule Jr in June telling him he was about to begin a teaching job at the Philippine Merchant Marine School, our chaplain was overjoyed. The last time Simon had seen the chief cook, during his work at the port of Tuticorin in India, he was recovering from a major heart attack which almost took his life, having been working on board ship for 15 months without a day’s rest.

The two had first met when Simon visited Mr Capule’s ship in May 2010, and the seafarer asked to be taken to hospital immediately as he was suffering with chest pains.

The chaplain urged the ship’s captain to let him seek medical assistance as soon as possible, later saying, “If we had delayed for several minutes he would have been dead.”

Local doctors quickly identified that Mr Capule had suffered a massive heart attack and sent him to the intensive care unit at the regional Sundaram Hospital, where he was treated by a heart specialist. By the following morning his condition had stabilised. For the next ten days the MtS supported Mr Capule through his recovery, visiting him daily and transporting his crewmates to and from the hospital.

Simon also kept in contact with Mr Capule’s family in the Philippines.

The Revd Simon Dharmaraj visiting Felix Capule Jr in hospital.

Today, Mr Capule is in good health, and his experience with the Mission has inspired him to volunteer for a local maritime charity. His son has even been in touch with the Revd Dharmaraj to express his gratitude, saying: “On behalf of my family I would like to thank you for helping my dad during his time of need, we really do appreciate it.”

Second time lucky as HRH The Princess Royal visits UK centres

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fter bad weather caused three port visits by our President, The Princess Royal to be scrapped, Her Royal Highness showed her commitment to the Mission by rescheduling trips to Belfast, Falmouth and Fowey, as well as finding time to drop in on our MtS operation in Felixstowe.

During the princess’ recent visit to Belfast, which had to be rearranged after volcanic ash stopped her flight to the Mission in Belfast’s 150th anniversary dinner last year, she spoke passionately about the centre’s work to an audience of 100 guests: “The statistics you had last year proved just how important the seafarers’ centre has been. To have 5,500 seafarers through is a considerable achievement and it reflects business here in Belfast… There are a lot of seafarers coming in and out so, for them, the centre is particularly important.” She added, “Communication is important on a number of different levels, not just the technology, but the ability and hospitality of volunteers who just listen and are somebody to talk to.”

Liberian Shipping Registry supports MtS

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he Mission to Seafarers welcomes the Liberian Shipping Registry (LISCR) as sponsor of its Lambeth Palace Reception on 27th September this year.

The Mission has a longstanding relationship with LISCR because our director of justice and welfare, the Revd Canon Ken Peters, is engaged in training Liberian flag state ship inspectors on how to implement the welfare recommendations outlined in the Maritime Labour Convention 2006.

He said, “It is pleasing that Liberia, a major flag state, recognises the importance of seafarers’ wellbeing and is ensuring its inspectors understand welfare principles and concerns. It is a very rewarding experience to share the Mission’s historical knowledge with those who come in contact with seafarers and can make a difference to their lives. Furthermore, I am delighted to thank LISCR for their sponsorship of the Lambeth Reception.”

The Lambeth Palace Reception will bring together supporters and professionals from the shipping industry to hear about the Mission’s work with victims of piracy and the work we are doing to ensure that seafarers’ welfare is a central consideration in the industry’s response to the increase in attacks on ships.

Liberian flag state ship inspectors following a training session led by the Revd Canon Ken Peters.

If you would like to discuss how your company could work with The Mission to Seafarers, please contact Tara Fox, head of corporate partnerships, on: 020 7246 2980 or at: tara.fox@missiontoseafarers.org

My name is Rebecca Gebbie, I have worked in the MtS London office for three years now, and have probably spoken to many of you in that time.

I am the Mission to Seafarers’ legacy officer, which means that I work with solicitors and executors to make sure that when you leave us a gift in your will, your wishes are properly carried out and your compassion lives on through our daily work.

We all know how important it is to make our wishes clear. Once you have taken care of family and dear friends, I hope you consider remembering The Mission to Seafarers in your will.

As a friend of the Mission, you know how vital our chaplains, centres and advocacy work are to those who spend their lives at sea, facing loneliness and danger to provide for those they love. No matter how large or small, a gift from your estate makes an enormous difference to our work.

If you are thinking about remembering The Mission to Seafarers in your will, I am always available to talk to you on 0207 246 2917, or if you have email, you can contact me at: rebecca.gebbie@missiontoseafarers.org

The Princess Royal arriving in Belfast.

Caring for seafarers around the world Charity numbers: 212432 / SC039211

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Flying Angel News | The magazine of The Mission to Seafarers | Summer 2011 | Issue 1

www.missiontoseafarers.org

www.facebook.com/missiontoseafarers

@flyingangelnews

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Piracy

Community news

Meet Rebecca and Nicola

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n April we were delighted to welcome our new head of community fundraising, Rebecca Gardner. Here she introduces her role.

“My work includes helping to support our fantastic local groups and committees, overseeing our challenge events programme, organising Sea Sunday and exploring new opportunities to maximise local fundraising support, as well as managing our team of three fundraisers. I’m looking forward to meeting many of you over the coming year, and am always interested in your fundraising stories, so please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us!”

We are also excited to welcome community fundraiser Nicola Jackson, who many of you will meet over the next few months. As the fundraising face of the Mission, Nicky will be travelling up and down the UK to support our wonderful volunteers across the country, as well as inspiring new supporters.

She said: “I’m looking forward to getting out into the community and helping our supporters and volunteers to raise funds for the Mission to Seafarers. If anyone has any ideas or would like to have a chat have about fundraising, please do give me a call.”

Image: Reuters

Progress on piracy: MtS welcomes better protection for seafarers

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n July, we welcomed news that the UK Government was preparing to shift its position on the use of privately armed guards on British-flagged merchant ships.

Time and again, our chaplains have witnessed the devastating effects of piracy on seafarers and their families, and we have always argued that the most important cargo aboard any vessel is its crew. To ensure better protection for seafarers, we have been calling on governments to find a workable solution to the use of private security on board ships.

With pirate attacks numbering almost 500 in 2010, seafarers are living in constant fear for their safety. In July 2011, 20 vessels and over 400 crewmembers were being held hostage by Somali pirates, who use machine guns, machetes and even rocketpropelled grenades to hold the shipping industry to ransom.

Earlier this year, the MtS team met seafarers in Mombasa, Kenya, who spoke vividly about their sense of powerlessness in the face of piracy. They didn’t feel protected by the industry or by international navies, and almost all admitted they hid from their families the fact that they were sailing through perilous waters.

“We try not to think about it, but there’s every chance we’ll be caught this trip,” chief officer Sotero Flores told us. “We have wire and we’ll perform double watches, but we can’t deal with rocket-propelled grenades, or automatic weapons. We can do nothing but pray we don’t get caught.”

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The Mission’s public affairs officer, Ben Bailey, welcomed the Government’s decision: “Seafarers are nervous about working on these routes and our chaplains often provide post-trauma care to those who have been attacked. A change in the use of armed guards will send a strong message to seafarers that their concerns are being heard.”

This latest development in the fight against piracy comes soon after the International Maritime Organization’s approval of interim guidelines for shipowners wishing to use private security, which represent a recognition that arming ships is proving successful. One in ten ships off the Somali coast currently employ this kind of protection, and as Foreign Office Minister Henry Bellingham acknowledges, there have been no recorded hijackings of vessels with private security. It remains to be seen whether shipowners will be prepared to invest in these defences, and how international law will deal with the repercussions.

Although they do not address the root causes of piracy, we hope these moves will result in better protection and greater peace of mind for seafarers and their families. In the meantime, with your generous support we will continue to support victims of piracy and those living in fear around the world, and to call on governments, international powers and the shipping industry to recognise that the welfare of those who risk their lives to maintain international trade must be their first priority.

Flying Angel News | The magazine of The Mission to Seafarers | Summer 2011 | Issue 1

Left-right: Rebecca Gardner and Nicola Jackson.

Nicky can be contacted on 07500 333190 or at: nicola.jackson@missiontoseafarers.org

All in a day’s work

Sea Sunday 2011

Farewell to Phyllis

Second mate Mark Hart is set to row more than 160 miles for the Mission to Seafarers – whilst on board a PSV! Mark, who works for Farstad Shipping, plans to row 300km on the ship’s Concept 2 rowing machine, over a 28-day supply contract out of Den Helder, Holland.

Church communities from Falmouth to Fujairah celebrated seafarers on this year’s Sea Sunday, as well as raising funds for the Mission. With more than 1,500 visits to the Sea Sunday downloads page of our website, we would like to say a big thank you to all those who took part. And if you haven’t yet held your Sea Sunday service it’s not too late – you can celebrate it on any convenient Sunday.

To download an information pack go to: www.seasunday.org

In June we said a big ‘thank you’ to Phyllis O’Leary who is retiring from her role as parish link for St John the Evangelist, Stanmore, having been a committed MtS supporter for more than 50 years! Phyllis has helped the Mission in more ways than we can count over the last five decades, not least inspiring a generation of local children to support us and educating them about the crucial role seafarers play in our lives.

You can find out more about the challenge and sponsor Mark at: www.justgiving.com/Mark-Hart

www.missiontoseafarers.org

www.facebook.com/missiontoseafarers

@flyingangelnews

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Port news

Interview with...

News from the ports

The Revd Canon Huw Mosford, MtS director of chaplaincy

The Revd Neil Struthers inside the Holy Trinity Church, Lyttelton, after the first quake in February. (Image: PA)

Christchurch, NZ

Grangemouth, UK

Our thoughts and prayers are with our chaplain in Christchurch, the Revd Neil Struthers and his wife Robyn, after recent aftershocks in New Zealand destroyed their home and flattened the Holy Trinity Church, Lyttleton. The violent tremors which left 50,000 people without power or water were a terrifying reminder of the earlier quake in February which killed 181 people and destroyed much of the city. Neil, Robyn and all those affected by these devastating events will remain strongly in our thoughts as the process of rebuilding homes and lives begins.

When an 18-year-old German cadet arrived at Grangemouth, Scotland, recently, our chaplain the Revd Tim Tunley sensed the young seafarer was finding life on a container ship a little overwhelming.

Concerned for the young man’s welfare, he asked our chaplain in Antwerp, where the ship was next due to dock, to check on him when it arrived. John Attenborough welcomed the homesick cadet, provided him with an armful of German newspapers to keep him in touch with home news, and promised a German colleague would visit the ship next time it was in port.

Fremantle, Aus

Hong Kong & UK

In May, MtS chaplain Fr Dennis Claughton led a naval funeral for Claude Choules, the last known combat veteran of World War I and the only surviving combatant to have served in both world wars, who died aged 110. The service, in Fremantle, Australia, concluded with a 12-gun salute, while 110 naval officers lined the street outside in recognition of Mr Choules’ age.

Born in Britain, Mr Choules joined the Royal Navy at 15 and served on the HMS Revenge in the North Sea during WWI, transferring to the Royal Australian Navy before the Second World War.

A huge ‘thank you’ to the Revd Peter Ellis and the Revd David Whateley, two of our most respected and long-serving chaplains, who retired this year. During a career spanning 37 years Peter served in the UK, Hong Kong and Singapore, being well known for his larger-than-life character and magnificent voice. David joined the MtS in 1975 and has supported seafarers through his faithful ministry and technical know-how in ports across Australia and the UK. We thank them both for all they have done for the MtS, and wish them every blessing in the future.

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Penny said of the day, “We were honoured to receive the invitation and pleased to represent Falmouth Mission and all the volunteers who give up their time to help seafarers. It was wonderful, the sun shone, Her Majesty The Queen 8

The Mission has a number of centres and chaplains in India and Sri Lanka – the oldest, in Tuticorin in the south, has been there for 15 years, while we have newer ministries in Chennai, New Mangalore and Colombo. I went out to catch up with our chaplains in these ports as well as to progress our plans to open in two more major Indian ports.

It sounds like you were busy!

What were some of the highlights?

Left-right: The Revd David Whateley and the Revd Peter Ellis.

In New Mangalore I was asked to speak about seafarers’ welfare to 90-100 people from the Indian shipping industry, as well as journalists, which was a great privilege. We also heard from seafarers who had been victims of piracy. One, who had been captured for three months, said how grateful he was for the support the Mission had given his family while he was being held, and for the trauma counselling he had received from our chaplain since being freed.

Tell us about the new centres MtS is planning to open

looked radiant and it is a day we will never forget.”

Falmouth has had its fair share of drama to deal with this year: a dismasted tall ship, a ship on fire, a destitute British crewmember, a wage dispute, several injured and ill seafarers, and a major incident when a fire and explosion close to The Flying Angel Centre closed Falmouth Docks. Happily, no one was harmed, and the Mission has continued to provide a much-needed service for seafarers in Falmouth.

What was the purpose of your trip?

Yes I was! The first day I arrived in Mumbai at 3am, and my first meeting was at 9am – it really was non-stop! It was good to make industry and government contacts as well as meeting members of the church. Not only was this important in terms of progressing various projects, but it also helped to raise the profile of the MtS in India.

Penny represents the Mission at Buckingham Palace almouth’s MtS Chairman Penny Phillips, and her partner Graham Hall (also a Mission volunteer), attended the first Royal Garden Party of the year at Buckingham Palace on 29 June, hosted by Her Majesty The Queen, who is Patron of The Mission to Seafarers.

As director of chaplaincy, Huw manages and supports our port chaplains around the world.

Here he talks about his recent trip to India and Sri Lanka.

The first is at Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust in Mumbai, a new container port. At the moment there’s no welfare provision there at all for seafarers and the town is some distance away, so we made a proposal, in partnership with the International Transport Workers’ Federation, to open a centre there. The government is backing it because of the Mission’s international reputation among seafarers, and we’re aiming to open there by early 2012. The other port is Haldia, where we still have a lot of negotiating to do!

Why do you think MtS has so much support from government and the industry in the region?

We’ve been doing this for over 150 years, and we’re experts at looking after seafarers. People in the industry know us, they trust us, and they know we can deliver.

Mission volunteers Penny Phillips and Graham Hall outside the palace.

Flying Angel News | The magazine of The Mission to Seafarers | Summer 2011 | Issue 1

www.missiontoseafarers.org

Tell us what you think of the new FAN and you could win a book!

Send us your feedback and you could win the wonderful hardback book ‘Face to Face: Ocean Portraits’, with photos by Huw Lewis-Jones and a foreword by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston.

Flying Angel News aims to keep you up-to-date with the work of your MtS around the world, to share with fellow volunteers and supporters some of the inspiring things you’ve been doing and to let you know about other events and activities you can get involved with.

We hope you like the new format of FAN. We would love to find out which bits you enjoyed most, and hear your thoughts on how we can continue to develop it to reflect your interests.

Please let us know below, or you can email your thoughts to: fan@missiontoseafarers.org Which sections did you most enjoy reading in this issue of FAN? From the Secretary General Lead article: Injustice Mission news Corporate news Feature: Piracy Community news Ports around the world An interview with Huw Mosford

Are there any other things you would like to see in future issues of FAN? ……………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………

If you have any other comments, please let us know. ……………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………

Replies will be entered into a prize draw. If you would like to enter, please fill out your details below.

Name:………………………………………………………

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Please detach this form and send it to: The Mission to Seafarers FREEPOST KE5265 London EC4B 4EP

Caring for seafarers Reg. charity no: 1123613 around the world Charity numbers: 212432 / SC039211

How you can support us There are many ways in which you can support our work with seafarers around the world.

Find out more about getting involved Please tick the box below and fill out the contact details panel at the bottom of the page to find out more about: Taking part in an MtS challenge event Fundraising for MtS, or organising your own event/activity Remembering MtS in your will

Volunteering for MtS

Involving your company

Giving in memory of a friend or loved one

Make a donation If you would like to make a donation, please fill out the form below, and complete your contact details at the bottom of the page.

Please accept my gift of:

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or £.......................... (your chosen amount) My cheque is enclosed (Cheques should be made payable to The Mission to Seafarers.)

- Mr Thompson

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In February we asked you to send your well wishes to seafarers, many of whom suffer a great sense of isolation when working far from home. Your response was overwhelming. Your kind words, such as those above from our supporter Mr Thompson, offer great comfort and reassurance to seafarers around the world and serve to remind them that some of us really do understand the problems they face.

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I understand that I must have paid an amount of income tax/ capital gains tax at least equal to the amount that the charity will reclaim in the tax year that the gift was received.

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“...May The Mission to Seafarers give you spiritual and practical comfort whenever you need it.”

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“Only foolish landsmen talk about the ‘romance of the sea’. You and I both know that there is no romance in any of the world’s vast oceans.”

- Mr Bushnell

“Having first gone to sea on cable ships at the age of 17, I do know how heartbreaking homesickness can be.”

- Mr Marke Many of you will now have received our SOS Piracy appeal, explaining the daily threat seafarers face from criminal gangs.

The difficult work we undertake in ports like Mombasa provides a life line to victims of pirate attack.

Just last week we spoke with our chaplain in Kenya, the Revd Michael Sparrow. As you read this he is working with 23 traumatised seafarers newly released from three months in captivity. These men are unable to return home, they have no money and no papers – at first brutalised by pirates, they were met upon release with barbed wire, armed guards and no way back to family and friends.

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Please detach this form and send it to: The Mission to Seafarers FREEPOST KE5265 London EC4B 4EP

Caring for seafarers Reg. charity no: world 1123613 around the Charity numbers: 212432 / SC039211

I’m sure you realise, as we do, that the diplomatic no-man’s land of international red tape can become yet another form of imprisonment for the exhausted seafarer. We do all we can to ensure justice and rehabilitation, but in reality it is your generous support that brings seafarers safely home, and that offers hope and comfort in such trying times.

Thank you