Although the former fishing port of Fleetwood was once one of the third largest in the country with Hull and Grimsby. Many people visiting the town today who remember the port as it was in its heyday are often surprised to find very little that remains of that time. But people who may have left the port to go work elsewhere also find that the hope of belonging to a thriving fishing community is now gone. Take for example, Mrs Mary Breach – recently returned from several decades in Lowestoft when she moved with her fisherman husband to find work. Mary is now in her 70s, and sadly her husband has long since died. As a single mother with three children, the youngest, Richard, still only 14 years old.
The couple were married for nearly 20 years. Mary knows not just a change in her community with an industry that younger generation of local youths don’t remember; she also knows what it means to leave behind a place where she was born and grew up, and the feeling of wanting to return even after 50 years. But more personally, Mary knows life as a single mother trying to make ends meet. Sadly, after joining the Police, her youngest – Richard, was tragically killed on a road accident while on his journey to the airport. So, Mary also knows personal grief.
What can the Fishermen’s Mission offer to Mary now that she is back in a community she barely recognises after all the changes? Nothing that would make life return to normal. But when she needed to move into a new home, we were there to find some financial assistance to help her redecorate her bedroom, and remind her that through her local Fishermen’s Mission, she can still reconnect with those who understand her situation better.
