A new 24-hour lounge to help seafarers “get in touch with home” was re-opened recently at the Port of Tilbury after a major refurb.

The London Tilbury Seafarers Centre fundraised for a makeover after chaplains saw “more and more sailors sitting outside in the cold and the rain” at night.

The £26,500 refurb will now allow the centre to be open 24 hours a day, and help sailors away at sea for up to nine months “get in touch with home”, using Wi-Fi, phones, speaking to chaplains or just watching TV.

Over 6,000 seafarers annually are welcomed at the centre, with many more reached on the estimated 1,500 ships that the Chaplains based at the Centre visit annually.

The official opening was presided over by the Port of London Authority Chairman Christopher Rodrigues on July 15.

Chair of the Centres for Seafarers Alexander Campbell said: “We made the change after our Chaplains saw more and more seafarers sitting outside the Centre when it was closed, often in the cold and rain late at night, just to pick up the WiFi signal.”

“With the support of donors and volunteers, we’ve been able to make the change so that we are able to provide our essential services, whenever our users want to access them.”

The newly fitted out centre got its new look thanks to a £25,000 grant from the Merchant Navy Welfare Board and a £1,500 contribution from the Port of Tilbury and the PLA towards the cost of a new TV and sofas for the lounge.

The centre is owned by Centres for Seafarers, made up of four Christian maritime mission charities.