Sailors’ Society’s unique helpline service provides mental health support to more than 12,000 seafarers Sailors’ Society, one of the largest seafarer welfare charities in the world, is providing mental health support to more than 12,000 seafarers via its new ‘Ship Connect’ helpline service. The unique service, which is part of the charity’s pioneering Wellness at Sea programme, runs alongside its existing seafarer helplines. Instead of waiting for crew to call a chaplain for help, Sailors’ Society chaplains agree with shipping companies to make regular contact with their ships, getting to know the seafarers on board and identifying any welfare issues early on.