The Sailors’ Society provides welfare support for merchant seafarers on board ship and in port
They are an international charity. They sustain a network of professionally trained Chaplains working as ship visitors in ports around the globe providing welfare support to merchant seafarers. Through this network they board ships arriving in port and extend our reach to thousands of seafarers each year to enhance their well-being. They are able to relieve their loneliness, isolation and sometimes distress, and they can assist them if they require help from one or more of our services.
Merchant seafarers are always at the very heart of their work. They listen and make sure their voices are heard and their troubles listened to and – where possible – acted upon.
They seek to provide higher standards in provision of seafarers’ welfare, and to relieve distress and financial hardship wherever it occurs. They strive to ensure that multinational merchant seafarers are treated fairly, positively and with respect and are not just the invisible and largely forgotten community that people mostly take for granted but upon whom we all unconsciously rely for so much of our daily life. They offer support to their family and relatives when disaster, piracy or personal tragedy occurs.
"The vision that inspires us is a world where the isolation of the merchant seafarer is replaced with a sense of belonging" - Robert Adams (CEO)
The Challenge
At 4095m, Mount Kinablau, located on the NE tip of Borneo, is the tallest mountain in SE Asia. The climb will take place on 9/10 April and will involve an overnight stay part of the way up to enable the final ascent and descent on the second day. With heat and cold, rain and sun, it will not be easy!
Alastair Fischbacher, Andy Barker and Marco Dalmeijer have volunteered (?) to represent the Rightship directors in this event. All the places for gentle support roles were taken, so we had to enter for the climb. BHP Billiton, Cargill and Rio Tinto all support the work of the Sailors Society and we hope to beat our fund raising target by a good margin - but this depends on your generosity. Please donate now and give us the incentive to successfully complete the challenge.
Check back to see how we are getting on with training and, after the event, for a update on how it went.
UPDATE - training has been a bit hit-and-miss for the team, but generally a good effort. Less than two weeks to go now, so....wish us luck (and donate)!
