Lunch Meeting - Talk by Father Kelly, Seafarers Mission Immingham

Today's speaker was Father Colum Kelly from the Immingham Seafarers Mission.  As 90 to 95% of everything we buy in the UK tends to arrive by sea, Father Kelly reminded us how much we rely on seafarers, who by the nature of the work can often have a tough life in harsh conditions, working every day for 3 to 4 months.  They are often out of contact with their families for these long periods and sometimes encounter bad treatment onboard.  The Mission provides help to all ranks, nationalities and beliefs, providing practical (including basic internet service for communication with families), emotional and spiritual care and a range of welfare and emergency support services.

Father Kelly has been at Immingham for 10 years, originally only coming for 3 months on a mission to sort out a few problems! He actually lives in the Mission and his claim to fame is that he is probably the only person with an Immingham Dock address.

In 2013, the Humber was hit by a devastating tidal surge which impacted Immingham significantly.  Father Kelly showed us photographs of the surge and the terrible damage to the Mission, which he said had its heart and soul ripped out.  After many months of work and improvements, the Mission is now fully operational, with a bigger and better facility.

Many thanks to Father Kelly for his enlightening talk and remarkable work helping to support the 1.5 million men and women who face danger every day keeping our global economy afloat.