UAE | General
Flying Angel fundraiser nets Dh150,000
British embassy high tea event held in aid of home away from home for seafarers.
Dubai: The British Embassy in Dubai was host to the Angel Appeal high tea on Saturday, which raised more than Dh150,000 for seafarers in the region.
Treated to a large spread, visitors paid for tickets and dined to the sounds of a local band on the lawns of the Embassy, a service that was donated free of charge for the appeal.
The tea was held to raise funds for the running of the Flying Angel boat, which provides mobile services to seafarers that are unable to dock for long periods of time. The boat provides everything from personal toiletries to internet access, cheap calls and mobile phones.
"At any one time there are between 3,000 and 4,000 seafarers floating on their ships, waiting to either refuel, recrew, repair or recertify their vessels. They could be stuck at anchor for two or three days without the opportunity to come ashore: many seafarers involved in the tanker industry may not receive shore leave for nine months aboard ship.
The purpose of the Flying Angel is to bring seafarers that home away from home that they would receive if they were on land," Stephen Miller, director, The Mission of Seafarers FZCO, the charity who established the Flying Angel, said.
The ship is a floating version of the Mission's land-based centres, and goes out to any vessel during daylight hours free of charge.
A typical visit would last for two or three hours alongside each ship.
Raising awareness of the campaign to keep the Flying Angel afloat, which was launched in 2006, was just one of the rationales behind the high tea event.
"We need to carry on creating awareness of the importance of seafarers in that we all need them in our daily lives. Worldwide, 95 per cent of everything we have is shipped by sea. In this part of the world, 99.3 per cent of everything we have here in Dubai comes by sea. The second purpose of this event it to raise money to keep the boat going - it costs $750 [Dh2,754] a day to run."
Many seafarers involved in the tanker industry may not receive shore leave for nine months."
Stephen Miller
Director, Mission of Seafarers
Share this article
More from UAE General
More from UAE
Popular in UAE

-
Your pictures
Readers' pictures
The best reader pictures from around the UAE this week
Latest news
- From Palestinian refugee to citizen of the world
- Haj pilgrims required to get vaccinated
- Kalimat launches children's book
- Man flees without informing employer
- Housemaid gets one-year jail for theft
- Cleaner to serve 6 months for rape
- Father and son charged with theft
- Three arrested for hosting 31 infiltrators
- Car rental violations net Dh541,000
- Men urged to report erectile dysfunction
- Check-ups are key to keep silent killer at bay
- Expats observe Remembrance Day
- Diabetes: A ticking time bomb
- The right moves for peace
- Red-light jumping still a big menace
Community Reports
-
Be kind to animals
Mistreated Labrador and puppy need new home filled with love
-
Help me find my precious cat
Raif, my cute eight-month-old ‘fur ball', went missing in Abu Dhabi's Al Bateen area last month
-
Pavement parking irks pedestrians
Gulf News reader calls on authorities to step in and stop car owners from invading pathways meant for safe walking
-
Faded parking lines pose a problem
Motorists could be fined for parking incorrectly even though they can hardly see the boundaries in the designated areas


