Children from Maybury Primary School enjoyed a trip to the Port of Hull which included a tour of a P&O cruise ferry (Image courtesy of ABP
A group of schoolchildren spent the day learning about the economy, tourism and trade when they paid a visit to the Port of Hull recently. The visit was hosted by Associated British Ports (ABP) and P&O Ferries.
The group of 26 Year 5 pupils from Maybury Primary School in the city, made the trip to the port as part of Hull Children’s University’s Port Experience days. The days include a morning aboard a P&O cruise ferry learning all about the business that sees almost one million passengers take to the Humber each year.
In the afternoon the children climbed aboard a coach and toured the vast King George Dock where they found out about the importance of the ports industry to the regional and national economy, imports and exports and the wildlife that makes the Humber estuary its home.
Deputy Director of Hull Children’s University Natasha Banke has accompanied a number of school groups on the port experience days.
She said: “It seems a simple thing, but a visit to the port to find out about trade and where their phones, computers, clothes and even the electricity they use, comes from can really bring their learning to life.
“The children always love going aboard the ferries and they’re amazed at how big they are and how much there is on board. Even though we don’t actually sail, being able to get on board and have a look round is hugely enjoyable.
“These visits have an enormous impact on the children’s learning and are very beneficial, and best of all the port and the ferries are on their doorstep.”
ABP Sustainable Development Manager Tom Jeynes took the group on their tour of the port.
“It’s always enormously gratifying to take a group of young people with no preconceptions, around the port and see it through their eyes, ” said Tom. “It’s easy to forget what an amazing place the port is, and to share it with them is fantastic.
“We look at imports and exports and why the UK relies on its ports for all manner of goods and we talk about how this business creates jobs and income for the region and the country. We also have a look at how we help the animals and birds that live on the estuary and make sure they always have well-managed habitats.
“The children really seem to enjoy it and always ask some very intelligent and interesting questions.”
Andy Faichney Customer Operations Support Manager at P&O Ferries showed the children around the Pride of Hull.
Andy said: “We host tours like this on a fairly regular basis and it’s always hugely enjoyable for us, as well as for the children. It’s fantastic to be able to show groups around the ferries and use them as a basis for learning and to help young people get the most out of their education.”
ABP is the UK’s leading ports operator with 21 ports and other transport related businesses creating a unique national network capable of handling a vast array of cargo.
Around one quarter of the UK’s seaborne trade passes through ABP’s Statutory Harbour Areas. ABP contributes £5.6 billion to the UK economy every year and supports 84, 000 jobs. Our current investment programme promises to deliver an extra £1.75 billion for the economy every year.
ABP…
- · Handled over 1.5 million vehicles in 2013.
- · Generates around one quarter of the UK’s rail freight
- · Has 1.4 million square metres of covered storage
- · Has 1000 hectares of open storage
- · Handled 119m tonnes of cargo in 2013
- · Owns 5000 hectares of port estate
- · Has 87km of quay
Over the next five years, ABP is investing over £650 million in a wide range of major projects across the group.
ABP Humber
The four ports of Grimsby, Immingham, Hull and Goole handle more than 65 million tonnes of cargo between them each year.
Grimsby and Immingham form the UK’s busiest trading gateway and move around 54 million tonnes of cargo per annum.
£75 million is currently being invested in the biomass handling terminal in Immingham, in a Humber-wide agreement with Drax Power Ltd that has seen £25 million invested in a biomass handling facility in Hull. The Immingham Renewable Fuels Terminal will handle sustainable biomass shipments and will create over 100 permanent jobs once complete. The construction phase has also created 100 employment opportunities.
The Port of Hull handles 10 million tonnes of cargo per annum and is the is the focal point for the development of the UK’s largest offshore wind turbine construction, assembly, and service facility, which will be located on the Port’s Alexandra Dock. This new facility, coupled with a new rotor blade manufacturing base near Paull to the east of the port estate, represents a £310 million investment and will create up to 1000 direct jobs.
The Grimsby River Terminal represents an investment of £26 million and allows large car-carrying ships to berth outside the Port’s lock system. This development confirms the Port’s position as the UK’s leading automotive handling facility.
More than the equivalent of 1million teus (twenty foot equivalent unit) of unitised trade is shipped through ABP Humber ports.
Ro-ro and container traffic represents more than 30 sailings a week to Europe, Scandinavia the Baltic and beyond.
The Humber ports handle more than 70 freight train movements per day.
Goole is situated 50 miles upriver and is the UK’s premier inland port. It handles over two million tonnes of cargo annually.
