Portland Harbour Authority Name Sailors’ Society Charity of the Year

Two teams of staff start training for the Wilderness Challenge as they welcome a charity volunteer to support seafarers at the port.

Two teams from Portland Harbour Authority will be taking part in the new Wilderness Challenge on behalf of global charity the Sailors’ Society as part of their commitment to support them as their charity of the year. The event, which takes place in September, will see teams of four take on a 50km bike ride through the Rothiemurchus forest, 3km canoe across Loch Morlich and a 10km run, including an ascent of an 800m mountain peak at the Cairngorms National Park – and all in a single day. Portland Harbour is the UK’s newest commercial port, and Portland Harbour Authority’s decision to support the charity coincides with the arrival of a new Volunteer Ship Visitor for the Sailors’ Society. Mike Chittenden, who served in the Royal Navy for 11 years and recently completed the Merchant Navy Welfare Board’s Ship Welfare Visitor course, will provide much needed help to seafarers from across the globe when they dock in the harbour. Ian McQuade, Portland Harbour Authority’s Commercial Manager said: “We see our decision to make the Sailors’ Society our charity of the year as the start of a long-lasting relationship. Having two intrepid teams take part in the new Wilderness Challenge is just one part of our plans to support their work in the International Maritime Organization’s Year of the Seafarer. We know the Sailors’ Society hope to raise £1 for every seafarer they aim to reach this year, and we hope to do our bit to contribute to that initiative, especially when we can see for ourselves the great work they do right here in the harbour. It definitely helps keep the teams motivated while they train for this gruelling challenge to see the real difference the Sailors’ Society can make to seafarers’ lives.” Mike Crittenden said: “I understand the challenges of life at sea and the isolation that can face seafarers so far from their homes and families. My aim is to regularly visit the port and bring comfort and assistance where I can. Portland Harbour Authority is promoted as the “perfect location and a unique opportunity” and from my work here I can see that it’s not just an opportunity for shipping companies, but also for the Sailors’ Society in replacing isolation with belonging for seafarers across the world who visit the port.” Jan Webber, Director of Fundraising at the Sailors’ Society said: “We’d like to thank everyone at Portland Harbour Authority for making us their charity of the year, and for entering two teams into the Wilderness Challenge. It’s a tough challenge both physically and mentally, but it takes place in one of the most beautiful national parks in the country, and raises much needed funds for seafarers across the world. The funds from this event will go a long way to helping us to reach our Year of the Seafarer target, and we look forward to hearing from other companies who are interested in entering a team.”