THE FLYING ANGEL OF FREMANTLE

One Fremantle feel-good social service organisation that often flies under the radar is the Flying Angel Club on Queen Victoria Street.

The Flying Angel is part of the worldwide Mission to Seafarers charity network that provides support, care, transport and accommodation to merchant sailors.

Each year, the Flying Angel Club in Freo deals with around 10,000 seafarers who visit our port.

It runs a fleet of mini buses to pick them up from their ships, bring them into the city centre and drop them back to the berth. It also provides accommodation at the club for seafarers leaving or joining a ship, or those who are sick. They have 25 rooms to accommodate people.

Flying Angel helps sailors get medical appointments, obtain necessary documentation while in port, and it frequently delivers personal items to sailors at gangways and provides a ‘listening ear’.

Fremantle Ports’ Neil Stanbury said Flying Angel was an unsung hero in the community. “It represents community pastoral care at its best. The world was reminded during COVID-19 what a vulnerable community ship crews were, when around the globe seafarers were denied shore-leave. It was a distressing and difficult time for them, with most confined aboard long after their contracts ended. Some spent 18 months on one ship.”

On Sunday July 9, at 11am Flying Angel CEO and Anglican Chaplain Dennis Claughton will conduct a service in the chapel to mark Sea Sunday – a day that is set aside to remember and pray for seafarers and their families, and thank them for their work.

Flying Angel lost some volunteers during COVID, so it’s planning a big push this year to increase support in that area. Contact them if you want to volunteer in Fremantle and meet people from all over the world.

Roel Loopers