Yarmouth port chaplain's urgent plea for funds
 By Yvonne Hill
An urgent appeal for funding has been launched by Great Yarmouth Port Chaplain, Rev Peter Paine.
Peter (right) is a Baptist minister and a well known pillar of the community who works hard to make sure that visiting seamen have vital support and care when they come into the port of Great Yarmouth.
He has estimated that the shortfall totals approximately £10,000 and he is appealing to families and individuals to set up a standing order of £5 per month. If 100 people would be kind enough to make a pledge to do this it would be much appreciated and would mean that this important work will be able to continue. Also the appeal goes to local businesses and if they would pledge to give £50 per month by standing order then it would be possible to hit the target.
So, please come forward and help the Port Chaplain to continue the work that he takes very seriously and what he has been doing over the past 10 years.
Over the years the work has included the support given to the colleagues of 11 Shell gas rig workers who died when their helicopter crashed off the Norfolk coast in 2002. The aircraft, owned by Bristow, was ferrying the workers to a Shell gas field when it crashed 28 miles off the coast, killing all on board. A report into the tragedy found evidence of fatigue in one of the helicopter's rotor blades.
Peter said that the roles of the port chaplains, who are present in most ports across the country, are responsible for overseeing the welfare of all sailors visiting their ports. They inspect every ship visiting their port to ensure the crew members have good living conditions, clean water and good food available.
Many of the ships' crews come from different countries and speak in different languages and so loneliness is often a problem on the high seas. One of the services Peter offers is to arrange for lonely crew members to phone or email home. Also, when required, he is able to provide religious support for people of different denominations and he also ferries them to their respective churches.
Peter also provides internet services for the sailors, including Skype, so they can chat to family or friends. Sometimes the sailors need to have medical treatment or may have been injured at sea. Peter is on-hand and is always ready to attend whatever emergency that may come his way day or night!
Great Yarmouth is a seafaring town and because of that we need to keep funding the port chaplaincy and to keep it running. Peter has pointed out that we all benefit from the work of the seafarers and we all are aware of how they sometimes have to face raging seas in order to bring the things that we take so much for granted in the shops. Peter says that, “We need to show people far away from home, the love and concern that the people of Yarmouth have for those at home and at sea.” Anyone wishing to give to the cause can contact the Revd. Paine at his office Cobholm and Lichfield Health and Resource Centre, Pasteur Road, Great Yarmouth, NR31 0DW
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