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The Fishermen’s Mission depends upon voluntary donations and legacy giving to continue our vital work

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“Every fishermansupported.Every retiredfisherman helped.Every fisherman’sfamily cared for.Making a realdifference in everyfishing community.A Nationwide, coastto coast Charity witha compassionatelocal heart”.


2 NETWORK SUMMER 2015

AhoyMagnus!Meet Magnus ArchibaldScott, intrepid traineefisherman and keensupporter of theFishermen’s Mission.Here he is teaching Alberta trick or two aboard hisfishing boat lovingly builtby his Grandad, JohnAnderson ourSuperintendent atBrixham. Magnus has justturned one year old andhas already found his sealegs!

Campaign of the Year: David and Jan Penprase“Salt of the Earth” book.

‘Salt of the Earth’ is a fabulous book and has been a hugesuccess, raising over £28,000 towards our work in Cornwall.David and Jan Penprase donated their time and photographicexpertise towards this stunning publication.

Restaurant of the Year Award: Outlaw’s Restaurant atSt Enodoc Hotel, Rock.

Two Michelin Star Chef, Nathan Outlaw is a passionate promotor ofBritish fish and our fishermen. Nathan and his team understand thelives of working fishermen and are brilliant supporters, raising over£13,000 for the Fishermen’s Mission.

Outstanding Contribution Award: The Fisherman’s Friends.

Long standing friendships mean so much to us and so we recognisethe huge commitment of Port Isaacs’ The Fisherman’s Friends.Coming from a fishing background they appreciate our work and arecommitted to helping the Fishermen’s Mission.

Special Award for Promoting the Fishermen’s Mission:Laurence Hartwell.

We are hugely grateful to Laurence Hartwell for his generosityin allowing us to use so many of his beautiful photographs,completely free of charge, forour publicity and on our newwebsite.

This photograph, used on ourfront cover montage, is courtesyof Iain Brown.

A local £500 donation has meantschools throughout Cornwall receivedfree copies of the book ‘Salt of theEarth’, a photographic narrative of aCornish fishing community. Pupils atGrade-Ruan Church of England Schoolvisited the Fishermen’s Mission CharityShop in Helston to receive their signedcopies. Newlyn Centre Manager JulianWaring said, “We are delighted todistribute these fabulous books andencourage young people to learn aboutcurrent and historical aspects offishing”.

Coast-to-Coast: South West England

Jenny Hutchings, Fishermen’s Mission Charity Shop manager says, “Our very popular charity shop atHelston, Cornwall has been open for almost a year. We desperately need volunteers to join us, so ifyou feel you could give up a little time to build on our great start we’d love to hear from you.”Call Jenny on 01326 561335 and make a difference by volunteering.

School children savour ‘Salt of the Earth’

CONGRATULATIONS!The 2014 Fundraising Awards for the Fishermen’s Mission were held at ourAGM in April. The South West of England produced four wonderful winners.

“Thank you so much for youramazing support”


NETWORK SUMMER 2015 3

Welcome Nick!We are delightedto welcome NickO’Neill who isjoining theFishermen’sMission to takeover the helm onthe South Coast.Nick tells us,

“I am reallylooking forward to providing theongoing support for hardworkingfishing families along the South Coastas well as seeking those we have notyet reached. I can’t wait to get startedon the challenge and my sleeves arealready rolled up!”

Nick joins us as Peter Shaw leaves usfor a parish ministry in Shropshire.We pray for God’s blessing on bothPeter and Nick in their new ventures.

Harvest of the Sea

Last October the Church of theGood Shepherd in Brighton held theirfirst Harvest of the Sea service. “It wasa wonderful service and the churchcertainly smelt authentic!” The wordsof Helen Rawlings our Superintendentat Shoreham & Brighton. The authenticsmell came from a fine display of pots,ice boxes and nets supplied byfishermen Jim Partridge fromShoreham and Alan Hayes fromBrighton. Following the service Jimsold fish donated from local fishermenwho wanted to say “Thank you” to theFishermen’s Mission for our supportduring the winter storms of 2014.

Can your Church or School hold a Harvest of the Sea service or assemblythis year? Giving thanks for the fish we love to eat and remembering our bravefishermen also?

Our supporters are never just names ona database. They are part of ourFishermen’s Mission family and theheart of our Christian caring workaround the UK coastline. Buildingrelationships within our UK fishingcommunities and with our supporters isour overriding aim.

Our Legacy Officer John Field tells usthe tale of Mr & Mrs Gould.They faithfully served the Fishermen’sMission for many years carrying out anannual House to House collection intheir town. John fondly recalls his visitsto their house each year where theyreceived the paperwork for thecollection and in return John enjoyedfruitcake and sherry! John says,“They were a marvellous couple butafter many years age crept up on themand the Gould’s found collectingdifficult. But, their support for our work

didn’t end there.” John continues“By leaving a legacy in their willsMr & Mrs Gould supported usthroughout their lifetime and beyond”.

Could you consider ensuring yoursupport lives on by leaving a gift forthe Fishermen’s Mission in your will?

“Hello, how can I help?”Throughout the Network magazine you will have seen our phonenumber and other contact details. But when you need to speak tous, who answers your call? Here are the fabulous Diane Henningand Gemma Scorey, the administrative powerhouse of our HeadOffice Appeals team. If you have any queries regarding theFishermen’s Mission please call 0800 6341020 and we will bepleased to assist you!

Coast-to-Coast: South East England

Fishermen’s MissionFundraising Awards2014 winners from theSouth East of England

Corporate Fundraisersof the Year:Hix Restaurants.

Twitter Friend of the Year: Sue Lucas,The Fish Shop Camberley.

You’re bothbrilliant andwe can’tthank youenough foryoursupport!

Fruitcakes and Sherry!



going under. Fishing gear worththousands of pounds was lost and thefrightened crew were left traumatised.

Maurice has since visited the crew ofthe FV Karen offering support and

counselling after such a terrifyingordeal.

Thank you that your support meansthat whatever happens at sea we willbe there for all our fishermen.

After the rescue…Fishermen’s Mission local Port staff areon call 24/7 responding to emergencysituations. Whilst not involved inrescues, our work begins when therescue ends and is just as crucial.Chrissy King, our South Wales PortOfficer, tells us the story of Pedro.

“Portuguese Fisherman Pedro was airlifted to hospital inSwansea after being injured in a storm off Milford Haven.

Alerted by the incident, I immediately went shopping for clothesand wash kit and drove 60 miles to the hospital. Pedro was sopleased to see me and grateful for the clothing etc. as all he hadwith him was his welly boots. I made return visits to check onPedro and a week later he was well enough to be discharged.A colleague and I transported Pedro to Plymouth to catch a ferryhome. He has since made a full recovery and is back fishing”.

Pedro’s story is typical of many fisherman rescued at sea.Often many miles from home and still shaken by events,they need the Fishermen’s Mission to help them get back ontheir feet again. With your continued support we will never letthem down.

George Ayoma is ourFishermen’s Mission Pastor based inFleetwood. Explaining the spiritualaspect of our work, Georgecomments, “As Christ went tofishermen where they were, so we goand serve fishermen where they are.It’s Christianity with its sleeves rolledup; a local mission from a familiar,friendly face, sharing the compassionof Christ around our coastline”.We value highly your prayers forour work.

Life-saving Mission

Fishermen’s Mission Port Officersknow the cost of a life lost at sea, sowe are always striving to improvesafety for UK fishermen.

Working in partnership with the RNLIand Seafish we continue to distributefree Personal Flotation Devices (PFD).User friendly and lightweight, thesePFDs have already saved lives.This spring 160 PFDs were distributedin the fishing ports of North WestEngland.

Ron Graham our Port Officer inCumbria reports the fishermen weredelighted to receive their PFDs aswere their families, knowing their lovedones are safer at sea.

Coast-to-Coast: Wales, Northern Ireland and North West England

Congratulations to Gregg Howardand team at Our Plaice in Hagley,West Midlands. Winners of the FishFriday award at the Fishermen’sMission fundraising awards for 2014.

It’s amazing that great fish and chipshops like Our Plaice, miles from thecoast, are still brilliant supporters ofour work. Which only goes to show,you don’t need to see the sea to seethe needs of our UK Fishingcommunities!

Gregg Howard from Our Plaice (left) withDuncan Lucas (right) from Passionate AboutFish at the Fish Friday Birmingham Event.

Mountainous seas and gale forcewinds are dangerous enough buthave you ever considered the perilsof the deep beneath the waves?

Our Northern Ireland SuperintendentMaurice Lake reports dramatichappenings aboard the FV Karen.The Ardglass based prawn vessel washappily trawling off the coast ofCounty Down when she was suddenlystopped and pulled backwards.The fishing gear had become snaggedand sea water engulfed the boat.Acting fast the crew released thewinch, freeing the snag and saving thevessel which was only seconds from

The Perils of the Deep



Coast-to-Coast: Eastern England

Travel back in time 50 years and visitthe fish dock at Grimsby. You wouldhave seen over 500 fishing boatssteaming down the Humber, off to fishthe deep waters of the East Coast.

Today much has changed andalthough a small fleet remains atGrimsby much of the work of theFishermen’s Mission entails essentialwelfare support for hundreds ofvulnerable retired fishermen, many ofwhom suffer ill health, isolation andloneliness.

2015 sees the second Grimsby’sTrawlerman reunion. The event held inpartnership with the National FishingHeritage Centre in Grimsby bringstogether over 200 retired fishermen.

Rick Wright, a former deep seaTrawlerman said, “I can’t wait for thisgathering to come as last year Irekindled many friendships from thepast, some from over 40 years ago!”

The Grimsby Trawlerman’s reunion hasled to the setting up of a retiredFishermen’s club; meeting locally

every month to have a cuppa and achat, recalling the old days at sea.

Tony Jewitt,Fishermen’sMissionSuperintendentin Grimsbysays, “I am soexcited aboutthese eventsthat bring

together so many great fishermen ofthe past. It gives them all a purpose,freeing them from the bondage ofpotential boredom or loneliness, whichis a huge issue in the communities weserve”.

Since coming toGrimsby in June2010 Tony hasreached many morepeople, bringing themuch needed helpthe Fishermen’s Mission provides.This outreach now extends to the portof Boston where newly appointedSuperintendent Suesan Brown seeksout the needy in and around the port.

SuperintendentSuesan Brown.

Trawlermen reunited

Your support ensures the Fishermen’s Mission continues to extendthe hand of Christian care throughout the UK in an ever increasingoutreach programme.

SuperintendentTony Jewitt.

The power ofCaptain KenTen years ago Ken Bishop met Albertand between them they have raised£70,000 for the Fishermen’s Mission.

Both have playedtheir part, Albertsitting dutifully onfish and chip shopcounters throughoutEast Anglia and Kenvolunteering tomanage the boxesfor us. Volunteerslike Ken are crucialin providing thefunds and servicesto power our work.

If Captain Ken can do it, so can you!How about placing and collecting anAlbert in your local fish and chipshop? We would love to hear fromyou, please call us today on0800 6341020.

Tim getsstuck in!Whatever the needs,our Port Officers areready and eager tohelp. For SeniorSuperintendent TimJenkins that meantgetting his handsdirty! On his daily tourof the dock atLowestoft Tim cameacross a boatstruggling to unloadtheir catch due to abroken winch.Superhero Tim playedthe part of the winchhimself and the catchwas soon ready formarket! Fishermenaround the UK knowthey can rely on us togive a helping hand,whatever thesituation.

Fishermen’s MissionFundraising Awards2014 winners from theEast of England

Fish and Chip Shop of the Year:The Quayside, Whitby.

The Stanley Pritchard Award 2014:Ray Brookes.

A special ‘thank you and well done’ toRay Brookes on receiving this well-deserved, prestigious award. Ray hasbeen a servant of the Hull Fishermen’sMission for 60 years and is also one ofour Vice Patrons.



Clyde Port Officer Karen Burston hasgone back to school. Visiting GirvanAcademy, Karen and local skipperJohn Gourlay demonstrated netmending and taught the children howto haul a fishing net. Karen comments“We have built long-standingrelationships with a number of schools,who have adopted the Fishermen’sMission and continue to support us.Girvan Academy is one such school,raising £440 and donating a hugeamount of food, keeping our kitchensupplied for many weeks to come!”

Fundraising Awardsfor the Fishermen’sMission 2014Fundraising Team of the Year 2014: St Kilda swim team.

Raising £6,000 for a number of charitiesthe team attempted to swim 60 milesfrom Harris to St Kilda. Their braveattempt was thwarted after 22 miles bybad weather, but they are trying againin 2015!

Coast-to-Coast: West of Scotland and Islands

Kirkcudbrightremembers

On February20th 1985 theMhairi-L waslost at sea.The bodies ofher crew of fivewere neverrecovered.

Thirty years on and the close knitfishing community of Kirkcudbrightcome together to mark the anniversaryof this tragedy with a candlelit vigil.Marian Dixon, our Port Officerparticipated in a short act ofremembrance which was attended bywidows and children of the missingfishermen along with several activefishermen and their families. Our role isto care for the families whose loss isstill so raw, even after many years.Like them, we will never forget.

Whilst at sea this April, Roman Bialk, afisherman from Kirkcudbright, suffereda suspected heart attack aboard hisfishing boat. He was airlifted to hospitalin Wales, many miles from home.The local coastguard informed ChrissyKing, our Port Officer for South Wales,of the incident and she immediatelycontacted Marian Dixon inKirkcudbright. Whilst Chrissy visitedthe hospital, Marian spoke to Roman’sfamily, reassuring them and lettingthem know the latest news. ThankfullyRoman had not had a heart attack andwas well enough to go home the next

day. But he was 200 miles away, withno outdoor clothes, no money ormeans of transport. Working togetherwith the hospital, Marian and Chrissyarranged bus and train transport, warmclothing and food and drink for thejourney. Much to the relief of hisworried wife and son, Roman made ithome safely and was soon back at sea.Our nationwide coverage and localknowledge mean emergency situationslike this are dealt with smoothly.Your support ensures we are a friendly,helpful face in each and every UKfishing Port.

Taking fish toschool From Port to Port

King Kenny takes a walkVolunteers play a huge role in thelife of the Fishermen’s Mission andwe like to champion them wheneverpossible. Fisherman Kenny MacNabfrom Tarbert is our VolunteerFundraiser of the Year. In September2014 Kenny swapped his boat forwalking boots and undertook a sixday trek along the Great Wall ofChina. The walk raised atremendous £12,000.

Matthew Ramsay, our Port Officer in Oban, says “Kenny was very determinedto undertake this challenge in memory of his late brother James who wantedthe money raised to be donated towards our work”. Kenny went the extra milefor the Fishermen’s Mission and we think he is great, as are all of ourvolunteers.

So how about you?You don’t need to see the sea to see the need.



Coast-to-Coast: East of Scotland and Islands

To John O’GroatsPictured at JohnO’Groats isFishermen’s MissionCouncil ChairmanJill Henderson withChief ExecutiveDavid Dickens.They were joined byour Superintendentin Scrabster ColinMackay during atour of theFishermen’s MissionCentres on the EastCoast of Scotland.

Although the trio arelooking south theywill probablystruggle to pick out

the Newlyn Fishermen’s Mission in Cornwall which is over 850miles away! Another reminder of how the Fishermen’s Missionspans the whole country yet always retains a heart for localfishing communities.

“Aberdeen is definitely a ‘tale of twocities’” says Aberdeen CentreSuperintendent Mike Sandison.Mike continues, “Whilst there appearsto be an abundance of wealth due tothe oil industry, there is also a lot ofpoverty”.

Providing welfare support in the faceof often crippling poverty is one of thekey roles of the Fishermen’s Mission.Mike administers and distributesShipwrecked Mariners Society welfaregrants to those in real need in the localfishing community.

Mike describes the scene:“Wednesday 6th May is the first of ourtwo grant payment days andShipwrecked Mariners Society Trustee,Mr Anthony Fawcett, joined us for theday to see more than seventy peoplecome through our doors. Over the yearwe will distribute approximately£90,000 in welfare grants to our fishingcommunity. Our folks really appreciatethis as they struggle to cope with dayto day living”.

When the fishing has gone or thefisherman can no longer go to sea wewill be there to give them a helpinghand. Thank you that your supportmeans we can bring hope to oftenvery depressed ex- fishermen andtheir families.

Picture hundreds of miles of beautiful windsweptScottish coastline. Imagine being out on a small fishingboat battling the most unpredictable weather and hostiletides. Welcome to Caithness and Sutherland, themission field of Colin MacKay our Superintendent inScrabster. Colin’s role is to be a lifeline to the active andretired fishermen and their families dotted around thisrugged and remote part of the UK. The logistics oftravelling around the area are huge but it’s all part of aday’s work for Colin. Speaking of the fishing he remarksupon just how tough it can be, “Fishing from thiscoastline is physically demanding, economically toughand often very dangerous. The tides are hostile and thewinters are particularly perilous”.

Colin has just taken delivery of six personal computerswhich will be used to at first train people how to use theinternet and then be given to those in particular need.Colin tells us why “The sheer remoteness of such aplace takes its toll, so alleviating loneliness and keepingpeople in touch with community life is crucial”.Bringing people in far flung communities together canonly happen because of your support of Colin’s work,thank you!

Through every craggy inlet…

A tale of two cities

From left to right: Anthony Fawcett, SMSTrustee with Andy.

Shetland comesto LondonAubrey Jamieson our Superintendentin Lerwick, Shetland gave a verymoving presentation at the Fishermen’sMission AGM held at Trinity House,London, in April. Aubrey outlined thepractical issues of caring for fishingfleets from across Shetland and visitingboats from far and wide.

Aubrey’s well received speechhighlighted how a willingness to servecombined with expert local knowledgeand a passion for the people ofShetland has allowed him to take thework of the Fishermen’s Mission tomany and varied situations.Patience on the right with her daughter-

in-law.

How to contact us:

Visit our website: www.fishermensmission.org.uk

Telephone us: 01489 566910

Freephone: 0800 6341020

Email us: [email protected]

Write to us: The Fishermen’s Mission, Mather House,

4400 Parkway, Solent Business Park,

Whiteley, Hampshire PO15 7FJ

People to contact: Alison Godfrey, Director of Fundraising

Chris Hirst, Trust & Corporate

Fundraising Manager

John Field, Legacy Officer

Follow us on Facebookwww.facebook.com/fishermensmission

and Twitter@thefishmish

The Fishermen’s Mission, Staff and Volunteers.

Company Limited by Guarantee. Registered in England No. 24477.A Charity founded in 1881. Registered Charity England & Wales No. 232822.Registered Charity Scotland No. SC039088.

A Fisherman’s lifedoesn’t begin and endon a boat.

Still here when thefishing is done.

Visit our brand new websitewww.fishermensmission.org.uk

Because keeping afloatneeds a helping hand.

Providing a lifeline of welfare and support to fishermen and their families

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