We were interested to learn that the ports of Tilbury and London Gateway, just down the Thames from the Spinnaker offices, will have a new port chaplain thanks to Sailors' Society, who has partnered with London City Mission. The charities have placed an experienced port chaplain in the capital, who will provide welfare support for the thousands of seafarers passing through each year.
Reverend Frans Sahetapy, who has been with Sailors' Society for 10 years providing welfare support in several global ports, will begin working with seafarers arriving into the ports of Tilbury and London Gateway this month.
The ports of Tilbury and Gateway are crucial to London's international trade, providing the link between deep-sea shipping and the largest consumer markets in the UK. The ports see thousands of seafarers pass through each year (on ships that pass our very offices), and many of them will benefit from Frans' appointment.
The Port of London Authority (PLA) works actively to support port welfare in terminals along the Thames. Alistair Gale, Director of Corporate Affairs for the PLA, said: "The Thames is home to one of the UK's busiest ports, keeping people across London and the South East supplied with the essentials of life including food, fuel and clothing. Seafarers on the vessels which transport these cargoes are the vital human link in the maritime supply chain. Frans' appointment is a welcome addition to the support seafarers receive when they reach port, often with little more than 12 hours in which to get simple things like toiletries and catch up with family and friends back home."
