Princess Royal Visits Ecumenical Seafarers' Centre

The ecumenical Southampton Seafarers' Centre has welcomed a royal visitor at its annual meeting of volunteers, supporters and seafarers earlier in the month.

The Princess Royal, who is president of Anglican ministry The Mission to Seafarers, unveiled a plaque at the centre to commemorate her visit, The Good News reported, and met with representatives of the port, shipping companies and financial contributors to the centre.

She also spoke individually to all of the volunteers who give up their free time to serve at the centre - a joint venture of The Mission to Seafarers, the Roman Catholic Church's Apostleship of the Sea and the Free Church's British and International Sailors' Society.

The centre is served by a chaplain from each of the three ministries and is established as a separate charity called Centres for Seafarers.

The Princess Royal commended the Southampton centre, saying that it was a model for future collaboration between the societies to establish other centres across the UK.

Tony McDonald, vice chairman of the Southampton Shipowners' Association, presented a cheque for £5,000 as part of the organisation's significant contribution to the centre. The cheque was received by the Princess Royal on behalf of the Seafarers' Centre.

Captain John Hughes, chairman of the trustees of Centres for Seafarers - and a trustee of The Mission to Seafarers - said: "The visit was an enormous success and a real endorsement by The Princess Royal of the work done by so many volunteers."