Annual Review 2016

Proud of our Past... Prepared for our Future

Fi

sh

er

me

n’

s

mi

ss

io

n

An

nu

Al

r

ev

ie

w

20

16

The Chief executive’s Overview

2

For several years, we have been following a strategic plan

to dispose of our costly Centre buildings and redevelop

our services to be either based in a welfare office or to retain a leased footprint in our Centres to provide a ‘mini Centre’.

During 2015/16 we disposed of our properties in both newlyn

and Fraserburgh, in December 2016 we disposed of the final Centre owned by the Fishermen’s mission in Peterhead.

We have retained a significant presence in each of these Centres but we are now free from the financial and time constraints of running such large, yet mostly underused,

facilities. we are now realising fully our plans to provide

a more mobile, reactive service to all our fishermen, both retired and active, and their families.

As part of these plans we have been able to respond to

increases in the need for our services in a number of areas.

in moray, newlyn, Fraserburgh, mallaig and Peterhead this

has resulted in the recruitment of part time Port staff to

provide a greater presence.

looking back over the year i can see the success of strong

strategic planning and careful budgeting that allows an

organisation such as ours to continue to be in a position

to meet the ever-changing needs of our active and retired

fishermen. As part of this development we have introduced the role of senior superintendents. By dividing the uK into

sector areas we have introduced a mutual peer to peer

support team that can share their experience and expertise

as well as plan national projects such as our health check

programmes.

I often travel to our fishing ports and communities and I remain extremely proud of the impact our staff can offer.

Their empathy and compassion, combined with a whole

range of solutions at their fingertips means that no one walks away empty handed of support, meaningful assistance or a

friend they can trust - for as long as it takes.

To all our donors, partners, supporters and volunteers my

heartfelt thanks. You are the very lifeblood of our work and

we cannot provide our services without you.

David Dickens

Chief executive

Fi

sh

er

me

n’

s

mi

ss

io

n

An

nu

Al

r

ev

ie

w

20

16

3

in 2016 the Council of Trustees undertook a full strategic

review of the Fishermen’s missions’ activities. Pleased with its

implementation to date, we nevertheless feel that there is still

much to do to ensure that the Fishermen’s mission remains able

to provide the very best of services to our fishermen and their communities.

As we move forward the Council is keen to see more

preventative working and so we are especially focused on the

lifestyle of our active fishing fleet. We hope this will decrease the need for urgent intervention in the future and help us to

build strong relationships within communities and develop new

partnerships with other organisations that will broaden our

approach. With regard to our older, retired fishermen and their families we recognise that social exclusion and poverty are

areas that persist throughout the uK and that improvements to

this group will need strong partnership working to enable us to

continue to make a difference in their lives.

we know that we have set high expectations of our staff but we

are confident in their abilities. Progress is already being made in several areas.

one such area is the Data management Project which is

already underway and will bring about a new way of working

for us that will offer a quicker response to our beneficiaries

and a greater degree of protection regarding their personal

information. we are grateful to our partners for their co-

operation in this project and look forward to being able to

update you in the coming months. Further information on our

strategic Plan 2016 - 2021 can be found in this Annual review.

Finally, i would add my thanks to David’s. The Fishermen’s

mission exists entirely on the goodwill of our supporters,

donors and volunteers. our excellent team, with all their

commitment and expertise would not be able to offer such

a breadth of care and support without those that choose to

support our fishermen and their families.

Glyn Tonge

Chairman

Looking Forward –

The Chairman’s report

You can support the work of the Fishermen’s Mission by making a donation or volunteering to help, go to our website www.

fishermensmission.org.uk

Fi

sh

er

me

n’

s

mi

ss

io

n

An

nu

Al

r

ev

ie

w

20

16

4

Follow us on fishermensmission or @thefishmish

We aim to make a life or event

changing difference to our

fishermen and their families

whatever their needs or

difficulties

Emergency Response 24/7, 365 days a year

nLooking after the survivors of

fishing emergencies or accidents

nHelping injured or ill fishermen

nProviding emergency assistance

to families of fishermen who have been killed or lost at sea

nMeeting the rescue teams and

helping with accommodation,

food, clothing and contacting

families

nOffering emergency grants to

fishermen and their families in times of need

Supporting active and retired fishermen and their families

nOffering Christian pastoral and practical

help across a range of welfare issues

nHelping to access grants to fishermen and their families from our partner

organisations

nAssisting fishermen and their dependents in times of illness or

distress

nProviding a full range of support in the

UK for foreign fishermen working in the UK industry

nActing as advocates for the welfare of

our fishermen and their families

5

Fi

sh

er

me

n’

s

mi

ss

io

n

An

nu

Al

r

ev

ie

w

20

16

The Duchess meets Alishia

The Queen is the Patron of

the Fishermen’s mission and

we were delighted to be invited

to celebrate her majesty’s 90th

birthday at The Patron’s lunch on

12th June. Fishermen’s mission

beneficiaries and volunteers attended and we were thrilled when

the Duchess of Cambridge spoke

to Alishia williams, the daughter

of South Coast fisherman Pete williams and his wife Chantelle.

we’ve asked Alishia what the

Duchess said to her but have been

told that conversation was strictly

between the two of them!

By 2021 we will have...

n Enhanced our support to both active and

retired fishermen and their families

n Improved the collection, quality,

management and use of our data

n Extended our support to wider areas, both

geographical and occupational

n Provided, or worked with others to offer,

lifestyle improvements for both active and

retired fishermen and their families

n Improved cooperative and collaborative

engagement with others. At the same time

explaining to industry and beyond, our

work, our vision to 2021 and the relevance

of the Fishermen’s Mission

n Enhanced further the reputation and

the face of the Fishermen’s Mission by

improving the quality of our service and

the governance of our charity

Duchess of Cambridge meets AlishiaChantelle & Alishia Williams at the

Patron’s Lunch

You can read more about Chantelle

and Alishia on page 9.

Fi

sh

er

me

n’

s

mi

ss

io

n

An

nu

Al

r

ev

ie

w

20

16

6

Overall Resultsx

Financial Year 2015/16 was another sound year for the Fishermen’s

Mission’s finances. A small operating deficit of £21,526 (2014/15: £869,311 surplus after restatement) was better than budget due to another exceptional year for legacies. To meet the requirement of Section 28 of the FRS 102 the final salary scheme Pension Fund income and expenditure are shown within the Fishermen’s mission’s accounts.

Minor improvement to the balance sheet position in the large part reflects legacies and increased investments.

Fishermen’s Mission Reservesx

During 2015/16, the Council directed a major change to the management

of the reserves that resulted in a move from an advisory approach to a

discretionary model. Following advice from the Fishermen’s mission iFA and

an assessment of a number of providers of Discretionary Fund management

services, sarasin and Partners llP were engaged to manage the reserves.

in parallel, the Council reviewed its reserves strategy and issued a new

investment Policy statement that established 5 key objectives for the

reserves, namely:

n To provide funds for the early stages of a major fishing emergencyn To generate revenue income for sustained operations

n To ameliorate short and longer term challenges to business continuity

(up to 2 years)n Provide the bedrock of the employer’s covenant to the now suspended

defined benefits pension schemen Provide resource for activities in support of strategic development

in light of professional advice, the emergency facility is now held as cash

on medium term deposit rather than in a low risk investment fund. From

september 2016 the remainder of the reserves is invested through the

sarasin Alpha Common investment Fund for endowments, with revenue

targets set and drawn on a total return basis. Through the Alpha Fund,

Trustees accommodate social, environmental and ethical issues where

performance is not unduly prejudiced. in this the Council seeks to avoid

our Financeinvesting in areas associated with increased levels of need and suffering

among the fishing communities.The Fishermen’s mission reserves investments experienced a satisfactory

net gain of just over 8.8%. The portfolio also generated £124,986 (2014/15: £129,251) in dividend/interest payments for revenue. Revenue income for the final quarter of the year was deferred due to the switch to Sarasin for management of the reserves.

The Net Movement of Funds for the year was £344,504 inflow (2014/15: £1,637,165 inflow) which has been transferred to the relevant funds. The Fishermen’s Mission free reserves at 31 October 2016 stood at £8,691,769. Free reserves available for use by the Fishermen’s mission are deemed to

be those that are readily realisable, less funds whose uses are restricted

or else designated for a particular purpose. The calculation excludes funds

invested in property and other fixed assets that will continue to be used in the day to day running of the Fishermen’s mission.

Retirement Benefit Scheme (RBS)x

over the year, the scheme Trustees, working with the Council, reviewed

and reissued their investment Policy statement. having taken professional

investment advice, the scheme Trustees also decided to adopt a

discretionary approach to the management of the fund.

Asset Class Performance for scheme year ending:

31/10/2016 31/10/2015 31/10/2014 31/10/2013

equities 22.49% 8.42% 5.80% 21.95%

Fixed interest 9.73% 1.77% 4.29% 10.57%

General/other 3.55% 7.17% 5.15% 2.58%

rBs scheme return 10.86% 5.73% 5.22% 15.98%

Benchmark return (FTSE WMA stockmarket income Index)

13.21% 4.76% 4.88% 11.33%

7

Fi

sh

er

me

n’

s

mi

ss

io

n

An

nu

Al

r

ev

ie

w

20

16

summarised Income and Expenditure For the year ended 31 October 2016

utilising the professional services of Barnet waddingham llP,

Trustees considered formally a number of prospective institutional

Fund managers, ultimately selecting legal and General llP to

take on management of the fund during the financial year 16/17. Overall the fund balance is £9,861,438 an increase of £462,601 on the previous year. The increase is primarily due to the change

in market value of the investments.

The FRS 102 valuation on 31 October 2016 saw an increase in the scheme’s deficit by £364,000 to £953,000 (2014/15: £589,000).

Reserves Policyx

As the Fishermen’s mission has a relatively small level of

discretionary expenditure within its annual outlay, to ensure

business continuity the aim is to maintain the charity’s free

reserves at a level of approximately two years operating costs

of £4M. This level of reserves also underpins the covenant for the rBs pension scheme, on-going strategic restructuring of

the Fishermen’s mission through to 2021, generation of revenue

income and provision for a major operational emergency. The

reserves Policy is reviewed annually.

2016 2015

INCOMING RESOURCES

£,000 £,000

Incoming resources from generated funds:

Voluntary Income: Donations and Gifts 1,487 1,452legacies 957 1,272 investment income 106 92

Incoming resources from charitable activities

income from Catering and Accommodation 98 146 Charity shop 43 38Net realised gain on sale of fixed assets (2) 478

rental income 46 39

TOTAL INCOMING RESOURCES 2,735 3,517

RESOURCES EXPENDED

Less: Costs of generating funds

Fundraising and publicity 822 799 Charitable Activities

Charitable expenditure 1,935 1,849

TOTAL RESOURCES EXPENDED 2,757 2,648

neT inCominG resourCes

BeFore TrAnsFer (22) 869unreAliseD GAin on invesTmenT AsseTs 701 293ACTUARIAL GAIN/(LOSS) ON DEFINED PENSION SCHEME (335) 475neT movemenT in FunDs 344 1,637

TrusTees’ StAtEmEnt

The summarised financial information shows the income raised and expenditure of the Fishermen’s mission for

the year. The information is taken from the full financial statements which were approved by the Trustees on 21

February 2017. In order to gain a full understanding of the financial affairs of the charity, the full audited financial statements, Trustees’ Annual report and auditors’ report

should be consulted. Copies can be obtained from the

charity.

Signed on behalf of the Trustees

Glyn Tonge, Chairman Board of Trustees

Fi

sh

er

me

n’

s

mi

ss

io

n

An

nu

Al

r

ev

ie

w

20

16

8

Fishing the Broch

Meet Miriam Kemp, the Fishermen’s Mission Superintendent at Fraserburgh.

Miriam hails from a fishing family and growing up in a fishing port means she understands the tough life our fishermen lead. Miriam comments,

“It’s a precarious occupation. The weather is atrocious most of the time. The winters are

severely harsh. 2015 saw the loss of five boats and five lives from Fraserburgh alone. Not everyone understands the cost paid by fishermen and many do not value enough the vital food stuff these guys bring us”.

Today Fraserburgh is the largest shellfish harbour in Europe. It is home to over 130 boats catching mostly

prawns and crabs and a further 14 pelagic vessels fishing for herring and mackerel. Add to this a large number of

retired fishermen and their dependents and you have a heavy workload for our Fraserburgh Port Team.

The day begins at the harbour calling on local and visiting

boats. miriam will also chat with the Filipino, sri lankan

and Ghanaian crew members. she works closely with

Fishermen’s mission volunteer outreach worker sylvia in

caring for these fishermen who are thousands of miles from home. Later there will be welfare visits to fishermen who are unable to fish due to illness or injury and to the many retired fishermen and their families along the 130 miles of coastline covered from Fraserburgh.

miriam describes her work,

“From day to day banter with fishermen at the harbour, befriending retired fishermen, providing basic needs for fishing families struggling financially, caring for those suffering heartfelt loss and grief, no two days are ever

the same and the work can be very testing at times. But

serving fishermen is in my blood and I wouldn’t want to do anything else”.

Miriam tells of one such visit to a retired fisherman’s widow whose husband had recently died. Funeral costs and loss

of benefits had plunged her into debt. Miriam was able to give sound advice, arrange long term grant funding from

the shipwrecked mariners’ society and to be simply a

friend and a shoulder to cry on at such a heartbreakingly

vulnerable time.

9

Fi

sh

er

me

n’

s

mi

ss

io

n

An

nu

Al

r

ev

ie

w

20

16

Chantelle williams speaking

about the true price paid

for fish by the wives of UK fishermen. Chantelle continues,

“not many people realise the

hard, hard work and draining

emotion that fishing families come up against on a daily

basis. Constant, often paralysing

worry, wondering if Pete is ok, if

the boat is ok, if the weather is

stormy.”

You will regularly find Chantelle at the quayside, helping

unload and sort Pete’s catch

before selling the fish to local businesses and residents. But

Chantelle also speaks of when

she and her eight year old

daughter Alishia have made their

way to the harbour to find Pete’s boat has not returned.

“The anxiety gnaws away at our

insides. The evening turns to

night and the daylight fades, we

peer long and hard into the inky

blackness. we know he should

be here but he isn’t. The hours

tick by and eventually we pick

out two tiny lights on the horizon.

Pete’s boat is on its way home

and our relief is overwhelming.”

Fishermen’s wives never know if

today will be the day when their

husbands do not come home.

how many other peacetime jobs

are there in the uK which place

this much anxiety and stress

upon the family?

“Every day I kiss Pete and tell

him to have a good day at sea

because I never know if I’ll see

him again.”

For the love of a fisherman

The Sarah C and the Lobster Pot Christmas Tree 2015 created by

Pete & Chantelle to raise funds for the Fishermen’s Mission.

Chantelle & Alishia selling fish fresh off the boat

Fi

sh

er

me

n’

s

mi

ss

io

n

An

nu

Al

r

ev

ie

w

20

16

The patronage of Queen elizabeth ii was

granted on July 24th 1952 and we are both proud and humbled to be one of only approximately

600 charities to be honoured in this way. we are

thankful that the Queen’s patronage adds the

highest level of integrity to the services we deliver.

The Queen always shows a keen interest in our

work and the pictures on this page record the

regular visits made by her majesty to Fishermen’s

mission Centres around the uK coastline. we

were also deeply moved to receive a letter from

her majesty offering her best wishes as we

strived to support fishing communities during the winter storms emergency in 2014. We have also enjoyed greetings from The Queen on other notable milestones throughout our

history.

The Fishermen’s mission is regularly represented at royal

events such as the annual garden parties and we were

thrilled to be invited to celebrate the Queen’s 90th birthday

at the Patron’s lunch on June 12th, when a number of

beneficiaries, volunteers and port staff were in attendance. A gift of £2,500 was made to the Fishermen’s Mission from The Patron’s Fund and this is being used to help with the

redevelopment of our mini centre in Peterhead.

in the year 2000 The Queen spoke in her Christmas

message of the life of Jesus Christ, and how the great

emphasis of his teaching ‘was to give spirituality a

practical purpose.’ This emphasis is echoed today in the

compassionate Christian care of the Fishermen’s mission to

those in need.

our royal Patron

Go back in time to Balmoral in November 1887 and you will

find Queen Victoria doing exactly what you are doing now,

reading about the work of the Fishermen’s Mission. This led

to Queen Victoria becoming our first Royal patron and we

became the Royal National Mission to Deep Sea Fishermen.

10

11

Fi

sh

er

me

n’

s

mi

ss

io

n

An

nu

Al

r

ev

ie

w

20

16

9,658

Welfare calls made by

our Port staff

216 Funerals conducted

103,044 Miles covered delivering

our services

3,335 Active fishermen visited

194 Fishermen assisted following

emergencies at sea

157 Children of fishermen helped

2,574 Beneficiaries in receipt

of welfare grants totalling

£975,784

4,507 Fishing boats visited

2016 at the Fishermen’s Mission:Christian outreach in numbersFor every £1 generated we spend 88p on providing our services

we receive no government funding or lottery support so every single donation makes a real

difference to us. You can make a donation by calling FREEPHONE 0800 634 1020 or donate

online at www.justgiving.com/rnmdsf or post a cheque to our address at the bottom of the

page. 88p of every £1 generated is spent on providing our services.

we are always grateful for the help given to us by our dedicated volunteers.

if you can spare a few hours each month do get in touch

FREEPHONE 0800 634 1020

or email enquiries@fishermensmission.org.uk

everyone wants to ensure that friends and family are well provided for if you are writing or

updating your will. however, just a small gift to the Fishermen’s mission can make all the

difference to our work and ensure that your help continues.

If you would like a legacy leaflet call FREEPHONE 0800 634 1020

or email legacy@fishermensmission.org.uk

If you would like to find out more about the work of the Fishermen’s Mission or you would like to speak to one of our team about how you can help you can:Telephone: FREEPHONE 0800 634 1020 or 01489 566910Email: enquiries@fishermensmission.org.ukWebsite: www.fishermensmission.org.uk

The Fishermen’s mission

mather house

4400 Parkwaysolent Business Park

whiteley

Hampshire PO15 7FJ

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter (@thefishmish)

Thank you to all our partners,

donors, supporters and volunteers

who worked with us in 2016