|
Seafarers from all over the world enjoy coming to The Haven. We passed the 1000 visitor mark around Christmas time. We offer free use of the internet and have two computers, soon to be three - the internet costs have been donated by a local shipping company. We sell telephone cards at cost, have a telephone room and also an outdoor 24-hour telephone kiosk within the dock area. There is a games room with table tennis (a Nintendo Wii is also being purchased). The lounge is comfortably furnished - mainly from the Montrose Furniture Project. We offer tea, coffee, biscuits and sweets but no cooked food. there are books, CDs and DVDs that can be exchanged, borrowed and returned to another centre or just taken away. Woolly hats (very popular) are donated by a wide-spread army of knitters and some other warm clothing has been donated and is freely available to those who need it.
Three of our volunteers are now trained and qualified Ships' Visitors and Peter Donald (Port Chaplain) is regularly at the harbour during the week - and particularly if a problem arises on board any of the ships. We are constantly on the alert for other ways we can be of help to the visiting seafarers and hope to adapt to changing needs as we become aware of them. We do not really have events in the ordinary way, we don't know how many seafarers will be in on any night. We do however have a good relationship with Port Control and they can tell us the comings and goings of the various ships, which is a great help.
The Seafarers' Centre was in the planning for a couple of years but came to fruition only in February 2008. It was mooted by the Port Chaplain (Peter Donald) and the Port Authority were very keen to help. Montrose Churches Together took on ultimate responsibility for the venture and a committee was set up to investigate options. The first meeting was on 19th October 2006 and David Dixon was elected Chairman, the late Lilias Inglis was Treasurer and Diana Millar was Secretary. The Port Authority offered the use of the former Harbourmaster's house in Meridian Street at a favourable rent and the three Christian maritime charities; The Sailors' Society (formerly British and International Sailors' Society), The Mission to Seafarers and The Apostleship of the Sea agreed pays the rent. The volunteers mainly have a church connection and the ethos is Christian with an emphasis on giving a warm and accepting welcome to every seafarer irrespective of faith (or lack of it). The funds to renovate, adapt and equip the building were raised locally and the business community have been very generous. We run entirely on donations and have experienced no financial difficulties, God keeps providing everything we need through the people who hear about the work.
|
