Seafarers Trust launches first phone app

Seafarers worldwide will benefit from the first phone application launched by the Seafarers’ Trust, the charitable arm of the ITF.

John McLeod, acting secretary of the Seafarers’ Trust, said: “We are delighted to launch this important new service for seafarers, which will help them get the help or information they need more easily.

“Shore Leave is a free, offline app that allows seafarers to store in their smartphones contact details of all the seafarers’ centres around the world. In just a few clicks, seafarers will be able to call the nearest mission for assistance or the SeafarerHelp line for more serious issues. Or they can simply use the app to find information about the Seafarers’ Trust and the International Committee on Seafarers’ Welfare (ICSW), the organisation providing the database of seafarers’ centres.”

The app for Android phones can be downloaded from Android IPlayer here and for Blackberrys can be downloaded from Blackberry AppWorld here. The app will shortly be rolled out for use on the iPhone.

The Seafarers’ Trust was established by the ITF in 1981 as a body with charitable status under UK law. It is dedicated to the spiritual, moral and physical welfare of seafarers, irrespective of nationality, race or creed. Its funding comes from the investment income of the ITF welfare fund, which is used to provide trade union services to seafarers. The Seafarers’ Trust, on the other hand, is tasked with supporting projects which directly benefit individual seafarers' spiritual, moral or physical welfare.