A charity which has been supporting seafarers for 170 years is looking for new volunteers.

The Mission to Seafarers has provided practical, emotional and spiritual support to seafarers and their families since it was founded in 1856.

It continues to offer a friendly welcome and a helping hand today to those who spend their working lives at sea, often far from home for many months at a time.

The Mission is particularly appealing for volunteers to join its team serving the River Tees and Hartlepool as ship visitors and help out at its centre.

Mission to Seafarers volunteer Betty with the crew of the Gas Myth enjoying some KFC at the charity's local welfare centre.

placeholder image — Mission to Seafarers volunteer Betty with the crew of the Gas Myth enjoying some KFC at the charity's local welfare centre.

Ship visitors go aboard vessels arriving in port to offer friendship, conversation and practical help, including helping seafarers access local services, buy essential items and stay connected with their families back home.

And centre volunteers provide a warm welcome to seafarers visiting the Mission’s centres, helping with refreshments, shop sales and other practical needs while offering a friendly face and a listening ear.

Shane Moore, the Mission to Seafarers’ regional chaplain for the North East, said: “Seafarers play a vital role in our everyday lives, bringing into the country many of the goods we all rely upon, yet their work can be extremely demanding and isolating.

“Our volunteers provide a friendly face and a warm welcome when a ship arrives in port. You do not need a maritime background - just a willingness to listen, learn and offer some of your time.

“It is a genuinely rewarding way to make a difference.”

All volunteers receive training and support. To find out more visit www.mtsnortheast.org or email [email protected]