by Sue Read

NOT all seamen working on the big ships are prepared for the weather when they come into UK ports, so donations of hats, scarves and gloves are always needed.

A group of knitters from Yeoford have been clicking to help with almost 150 knitted warmers being sent off to The Sailors Society combined with London City Mission.

Four missioners were to have visited last weekend but due to the dangerous travel conditions that visit was cancelled. Now the goods are to be collected at Easter by a member of LCM.

The knitting began several years ago when a member of West Down Chapel near Cheriton Bishop was so impressed when a Chaplain who works with the Tilbury Seafarers’ Centre came to talk about the work that she and her friends began knitting.

Since then others have joined in, including this year the Yeoford Yarns knitters who have given at least 70 hats, scarves or pairs of gloves for the seamen.

These, plus almost 60 that have been knitted by the Friends and Neighbours group at West Down, will go to London.

For West Down Chapel Evelyn explained: "More than half of the seafarers visiting Tilbury Docks are from Indonesia and SE Asia eg the Philippines, they take such jobs to escape poverty. For us these are basic clothes but not something they would usually need and so do not have."

The northern seas and UK can be a cold shock. A woolly hat is a must-have for those who can spend nine-to-12 months at a time on cold and sometimes frozen seas.

One-and-a-half million seafarers around the world transport more than 90 per cent of the world trade by sea. The gift of a woolly hat can be priceless.

This need is ever increasing and the hats, plus other warm items, might be included in Christmas boxes or given out when Port Chaplains visit a ship. There are now more than 100 Port Chaplains here as well as ship visitors working across 91 ports.

West Down Chapel has been involved with London City Mission for a long time. Another part of the LCM work is to take in people on the street for a shower, change of clothes and a meal plus other help if needed.

Knitting patterns can be found on the websites for both organisations (Sailor’s Society and LCM).