Volunteer Centre Worker
Help create a friendly, welcoming place where visiting seafarers can relax, connect with home and find practical support.
Discover the roleVolunteer across the Tyne & Tees
Be the welcome that reaches beyond the shore.
Join a local team offering practical help, friendship and a listening ear to seafarers visiting North East ports.
Make a difference locally
Three ways to play your part
You do not need a maritime background. We provide the training and support; you bring your time, warmth and willingness to help.
Volunteer Driver
Use a Mission vehicle to help seafarers get safely from isolated berths to our centres, shops and local amenities.
Discover the role
Volunteer Ship Visitor
Go aboard visiting vessels as part of our chaplaincy team, offering a listening ear, welfare support and trusted local information.
Discover the role
Why your time matters
A familiar face in an unfamiliar port
Seafarers can spend months away from family and friends, working long hours and arriving in ports far from shops, transport and everyday support.
Whether you welcome someone into a centre, drive them into town or step aboard their ship, a simple human connection can make a difficult day feel very different.
- Flexible volunteering with a supportive local team
- Full role training and port familiarisation
- A practical way to support people from around the world
01
In our centres
Volunteer Centre Worker
Be part of the warm welcome waiting for seafarers when they come ashore.
Our centres are places to rest, speak with family, exchange currency, collect parcels, have a drink and find help. Centre volunteers make that hospitality possible—greeting visitors, serving refreshments and being ready to listen.
What you could be doing
- Welcoming seafarers and helping them feel at home
- Serving refreshments and helping with centre facilities
- Supporting currency exchange, parcels and transport arrangements
- Offering friendly conversation and passing welfare concerns to the chaplaincy team
Typical commitment: at least one shift each fortnight, arranged around centre needs.
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On the road
Volunteer Driver
Give seafarers the freedom to make the most of a few precious hours ashore.
Many berths are isolated and have no public transport. Driving a Mission vehicle can mean the difference between remaining aboard and being able to reach a centre, shop for essentials or simply enjoy a change of surroundings.
What you could be doing
- Driving seafarers between ships, centres and local amenities
- Offering a friendly welcome and useful local information
- Working alongside centre staff, chaplains and ship visitors
- Keeping simple journey records and caring for Mission vehicles
What you need: a full UK driving licence. No PCV licence is required; vehicle training and port familiarisation are provided.
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Alongside seafarers
Volunteer Ship Visitor
Step aboard as a trusted representative of the Mission and bring support directly to the crew.
Ship visitors work as part of one coordinated team. They check shipping movements, travel around the port in a Mission vehicle and visit vessels alone or in pairs, offering practical information, welfare support and time to talk.
Training and support
- Port induction and local familiarisation
- The MNWB Ship Visitor Course
- Training in port reports, visit planning and record keeping
- Ongoing support from the regional chaplaincy team
Typical commitment: at least one shift each fortnight. A driving licence is only required when visiting alone; visitors can be paired with a volunteer who drives.
One regional team
Serving seafarers across the North East
Our volunteers work alongside chaplains and centre teams across the Tyne and Tees—sharing experience, supporting one another and responding wherever seafarers need us.
Not sure where you fit?
Start with a conversation.
You do not need maritime experience and, for most roles, you do not need to be a Christian. If you would like to understand the roles before applying, Shane will be happy to help.
Email shane.moore@mtsmail.org