Sailors Society

The Sailors' Society  https://www.sailors-society.org

It was our pleasure to welcome Yvonne Penn , who proceded to fully justify her job description of Public Engagement Officer by opening our eyes to the two hundred years of welfare support offered by this Christian charity to seafarers and their families in 27 countries- many from the world's poorest communities- who face extreme loneliness, violence of the sea and even piracy.

She reminded us that ninety per cent of everything we use comes by sea, transported by an often-invisible workforce of over a million and a half,  many of whom sadly find themselves locked into six to nine years' absence afloat- and unpaid- with unscrupulous ship owners and masters This has been exacerbated by the steady decline in red-ensign registered shipping since WW 2; ironically it was in the Port of London that the Society was originally founded two centuries ago. 

The charity maintains chaplaincies in those countries and provides education and relief of poverty and distress, regardless of provenance or faith. We were humbled to hear of the recurring instances of man's inhumanity and more particularly the efficacy of the lifeline of steady and selfless ministry provided by The Sailors' Society.

It relies on fund-raising, including a remarkable network of Woolly Hat knitters whose handiwork is much prized.  {The Society is fully registered with the Charities Commssion, with audited accounts and board of trustees.}  

Peter Rawll