FROM Samoan ships to a Bournemouth supermarket, Poole’s new port chaplain has a long history of offering people compassion and support.

Christopher Evans, 67, from Christchurch, has been supporting sailors of all nationalities on behalf of the Sailors' Society.

Since April, he has been ship visiting for the charity, which he first became involved with in 2004.

Mr Evans, who lives with his wife Judy, has travelled the world to support seafarers in a variety of ports.

The couple were co-directors of the Hawaii Pacific Baptist Convention’s seafarers’ centre in American Samoa’s Pago Pago port.

“We helped many people during our time there – fishermen and seafarers who had been stranded, abandoned, not paid and even physically abused," Mr Evans said.

In Dorset, Mr Evans served as a lay pastoral worker for five years with Bournemouth Methodist circuit. He was involved in setting up the churches together chaplaincy at Asda in Castlepoint.

However, the couple were called back to port chaplaincy and they relocated to Honolulu Harbour in Hawaii, where they helped set up a seafarers’ church and ministry, which continues today.

In December 2016, they returned home to Bournemouth and, thanks to Poole Harbour Commissioners, he began ship visiting at Poole Port for Sailors’ Society earlier this year.

“I’ll go on board with an atlas and ask where they’re from and ask about their family," Mr Evans said.

“It’s a good way to have some fellowship and talk about things other than their work. I’ll offer them a prayer too; I’ve said a few prayers already in my time at Poole.”

Jim Stewart, CEO of Poole Harbour Commissioners, said: “With more than 1.6 million men and women across the world away at sea, many for months at a time, port chaplains provide a lifeline for seafarers by providing practical, emotional and spiritual support to an often forgotten group. We are delighted to welcome Christopher to the Port of Poole and look forward to working with him.”