A focused team of health professionals have been assembled by The SeaFit Programme to support members of the fishing community whose health and wellbeing has been negatively impacted by the ongoing destruction of marine life, cost of living crisis and other factors.
The programme, a joint initiative by the Fishermen’s Mission and Seafarers Hospital Society, aims to help the fishing community in the Hartlepool region by providing ongoing support along with immediate wellbeing and welfare assistance.
The SeaFit Health Trainers, a team of health professionals from the Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust, are to gather at Hartlepool’s fish quay on 30 January from 9am until 5pm to provide support.
Alongside this, a range of ongoing support methods are available. A specialist mental health team from Impact on Teeside are to provide counselling; advisors from the Seafarers Advice and Information Line are to offer financial guidance; and The Fisherman’s Mission port staff will be making financial, practical and pastoral support available to active and retired fishermen and their families.
Fishermen seeking help with mental health can access online support via the trust’s association with Togetherall. Alternatively, a text service has been set up to connect fishermen with a trained volunteer from Shout. Financial help is also available via Seafarers Hospital Society.
Chief Executive of The Fishermen’s Mission, Marc Evans, said: “We are collectively keen to learn the causes of such a marked increase in sea-life mortality and address the current and potential future consequences this may have on the local communities. In the meantime, The Fishermen’s Mission, our colleagues at the Seafarers Hospital Society and other maritime welfare charities will do everything we can to support fishermen and their families along this coastline.”
