Christmas cheer for visiting seafarers

Hampers set to be delivered to seafarers visiting Southern Ports over the Christmas period are set to help spread an extra bit of cheer.

More than 18,000 seafarers visit ports at Albany, Bunbury and Esperance each year playing an important role in international trade in difficult conditions far from home.

Southern Ports Chief Executive Officer Keith Wilks said ports operate all year round without stopping for public holidays.

“Trade is carried out worldwide round-the-clock, so we can’t just hit pause at Christmas, or Easter, or any other public holiday,” he said.

“Southern Ports takes pride in being able to bring a little bit of joy to visiting seafarers all year round, but at Christmas it’s even more important to say thank you in whatever ways we can.

“For a lot of our team, this time of year is about creating special memories and we want to extend that to our visiting seafarers who spend the period far from home.”

At its Port of Esperance, Southern Ports continued its tradition coordinating hampers for seafarers with support from CBH Group, Mineral Resources, Gold Valley and Mission to Seafarers. 

Whereas in Albany and Bunbury, Southern Ports and its team donated a range of treats to seafarer hampers coordinated by the Mission to Seafarers.

“Our local Mission to Seafarer groups do tremendous work and we’re thrilled to back their annual hamper drives in Albany and Bunbury,” Mr Wilks said.

More than 500 hampers will be delivered to visiting vessels across the entire south of Western Australia over the festive period.

Southern Ports’ ongoing efforts to improve seafarer welfare resulted in a high commendation in Seafarer Welfare at the DCN Australian Shipping & Maritime Industry Awards last month.

Through the support of Southern Ports, seafarers visiting the ports of Albany, Bunbury and Esperance already have increased access to transport, better access to internet and improved respite opportunities.

Southern Ports Chief Operating Officer Rob Alexander (right) delivers Christmas hampers to Captain Polishchuk Mykola for his crew of seafarers on board the Caro at the Port of Esperance.
 

Southern Ports Chief Operating Officer Rob Alexander with Captain Polishchuk Mykola and the crew onboard the vessel Caro at the Port of Esperance. 

Mission to Seafarers Albany representatives Norm (left) and Mark (right) with Southern Ports’ Regional Manager Albany Paul McSweeney (middle).