2022-12-31-accounts

This text was generated using OCR and may contain errors. Check the original PDF to see the document submitted to the regulator.

Seamen’s Christian Friend Society

Trustees’ Annual Report and Accounts 2022

Charity Information and Public Benefit
Vision, Mission and Objectives
Chairperson’s Report
Financial Report
Management and Governance Arrangements
Statement of Trustees’ Responsibilities
Independent Examiner’s Report and Financial Statements (attached)

1. Charity Information and Public Benefit

Name : Seamen’s Christian Friend Society

Charity Registration No : 209133

Company Registration No : 378765

Registered Office :

Beever and Struthers,One Express ,1 George Leigh Street , Manchester, M4 5DL

Headquarters :

Ch18, Colvin House, Inspire Business Park, Carrowreagh Road, Dundonald, NI, BT16 1QT

Board of Trustees

Steven Thompson, Chair Archie McAvoy Danny Yarker Charles Hancock Andrew Browne

Senior Management Team

Colin Dickenson, Change Management Executive Tom Henderson, Finance Manager

Accountants

Crossley& Davis Chartered Accountants , Ground Floor Seneca House , Links Point , Amy Johnson Way , Blackpool , FY4 2FF.

Public Benefit

Seamen’s Christian Friend Society (SCFS) was founded in London in 1846. Its goal remains, to bring spiritual help to the seafaring community and those involved in the maritime industries, trades and activities by telling them about the love of Christ. It also helps them in practical ways through friendship and support.

SCFS Port Chaplains and volunteer Ship Visitors go on board ships when they come into harbour and spend time with seafarers, talking to them about spiritual issues and helping to address their practical, physical and emotional welfare to the best of their ability. Practical support is given through the provision of appropriate clothing, gift packs including personal hygiene products, SIM cards, food, transport and hospital visits to the sick or injured, as needed or requested.

The goal of transforming lives through the Gospel of Christ is very much alive today and it forms the foundation for the SCFS ministry in sea ports within the UK and around the world. The sole basis of the Society’s beliefs is in the Bible, God’s infallible written Word, as it appears in the Old and New Testaments and whose core precepts encapsulate the SCFS Statement of Belief.

During 2022 the Trustees unanimously made the decision to undertake the process of rebranding the mission. This will include a name change to Seafarers’ Christian Friend Society along with a new logo, bringing it into line with a modern society and maritime environment. This process commenced at the start of 2023.

2. Vision, Mission and Objectives

Vision

To create an environment where seafarers, their families, port dock workers and others may freely have the opportunity to hear the word of God.

Mission

To actively encourage and minister in every possible way to the spiritual, physical, practical and mental welfare of Seafarers and others and to provide counsel in the cause of the Christian faith and well-being.

Objectives

a) To employ Ordained, Associate and Volunteer Port Chaplains and Ship Visitors for the visitation of ships in various ports worldwide.
b) To seek to befriend and support seafarers, their families and others.
c) To provide spiritual, physical, practical and mental welfare support as necessary.
d) To disseminate the Holy Scriptures, tracts, and Christian literature among the seafarers and others.
e) To conduct Christian services onboard vessels as requested.
f) To disciple and encourage seafaring Christians in the continuation of their faith.
g) To promote SCFS worldwide

All our activities are undertaken to further our charitable purposes for the public benefit.

Code of Conduct

SCFS is a member of International Christian Maritime Association (ICMA) and our Port Chaplains, Ship visitors, staff and trustees must uphold its Constitution and Code of Conduct by:

Showing unconditional love to the seafarer as a human being, created in the image of God, and sincere for his or her personal values and beliefs.
Serving seafarers and their dependants of all nationalities, religions, cultures, language, sex and race.
Fighting prejudice, intolerance and injustice of any kind.
Respecting the loyalty of those engaged in the maritime ministry to their particular ecclesiastical discipline and tradition and refrain from proselytising seafarers.
Cooperate with persons, organisations and institutions, Christian and nonChristian, that work for the welfare of seafarers.

3. Chairperson’s Report

Following the impact of COVID 19 during 2020/21, SCFS returned to some kind of normality during 2022 in which COVID restrictions still applied for many ships. Not only did the year see the continuation of the work in existing ports but also an increase in the number of new SCFS Ship Visitors, new ports and the return of cruise liners.

1,816 ships were visited in UK and RoI ports, with the crews representing over 60 nations. 94 deputation visits to churches took place across the island of Ireland. The work in the south coast of England has been strengthened through the expansion of the team of volunteer ship visitors, which has been of great encouragement.

SCFS has continued its expansion on the island of Ireland. Aside from our established port chaplain presence in Belfast, Cork and Dublin, ship visiting is now occurring in Warrenpoint, Co Down. In recent months a number of new opportunities have developed. Londonderry / Derry Foyle Port, where ship visiting is due to commence in the Spring of 2023, Limerick, Waterford and at Greenore in Scotland.

During 2022 SCFS has been able to directly employ port chaplains working in Belfast, Cork and Dublin and is developing a structure which will further the work of the Society.

SCFS has been blessed by the extended work of our volunteers across Europe and is hopeful that 2023 will see the establishment of the mission in both Lisbon, Portugal and Koper, Slovenia.

Although the Board of Trustees is currently small in numbers it has worked hard during 2022 to move the organisation forward and are exceptionally pleased with the progress.

We held a very successful annual conference in London during May, with 36 attendees from across UK, Ireland and Europe. This helps to develop and cement relationships across the SCFS extended family. The feedback was so encouraging that it is planned to repeat the event annually, finances permitting.

I and Archie McAvoy, a fellow trustee, had the privilege of attending the opening of new facilities in Rotterdam and spent a few days with the port chaplains and volunteer ship visitors. We also travelled to Germany in July to meet with the Board of DMG, a very large German missionary organisation, which employs a number of our SCFS associates. We also met with a missionary couple who have moved to Koper, Slovenia and hope to obtain permission to work in the port during 2023.

Changes have also taken place at the SCFS Head Quarters with the employment of Colin Dickenson, Change Management Executive, in November to lead on the rebranding of the organisation together with a review and strengthening of its

governance compliance. A new Administration & Finance Officer, Claire Kyle, took up post in September.

A very busy and a very blessed year.

Steven Thompson, Chair of the Board of Trustees

4. Financial Report

The statement of Financial activities for the year ended 31 December 2022 shows a defecit of £52,136 (2021 : Surplus of £46,346)

Our donations and legacies income showed a sunstantial reduction of £52,855 however,this was due to exceptional items in 2021.

1.Legacies 2021 £25,000. 2022 £8,861

2.Motor vehicle donations and grants to replace the Cork Chaplain’s car of £28,731

3.2021 was the end of the Government Covid -19 support £5,886

With the end of Covid our Chaplain’s and volunteers were once again onboard for the full year with the result that sim card revenue increased accordingly.

Overheads increased substantially for charitable activity costs from £163,096 to £209,867.This was due in most part to staff costs.

New staff appointees on payroll replaced former contracted staff on self employed contracts.This resulted in the associated National Insurance costs to the organisation.We also appointed a new executive to oversee and inplement the rebrand of the organisation.Finally the Trustees reviewed the salary costs of our Chaplain’s in port.In these times of high inflation and very high cost of living increases the board decided in addition to the annual salary reviews to pay a futher one off payment to each Chaplain to to offset this cost of living increase.

5. Management and Governance Arrangements

The current Governing Document provides for a minimum of four Trustees with a maximum number of twelve. The Chair is responsible for the induction of any new Trustee which includes the awareness of their responsibilities, the history, the governing document, administrative procedures and Statement of Belief.

All Trustees give of their time freely and no renumeration was paid during 2022.

The Board of Trustees has established a risk register and review the risks of the charity on a quarterly basis, considering the following risks which may affect its work:

Strategy and operations
Charity law and regulation
Governance and management
Financial procedures and controls
HR, including equal opportunities, safeguarding and health & safety.

Internal controls are minimised by the implementation of procedures for authorisation of all transactions. Health & Safety procedures are in place to minimise the risk of accident or injury to Port Chaplains and Volunteer Ship Visitors whilst carrying out their duties.

These are regularly monitored through the Finance & Audit Sub Group, which reports to the trustees and through which the Board of Trustees receives their reports and annual budget. The Board monitors the financial performance as well as operational and statutory matters at its quarterly meetings. The charity makes itself accountable to the public and its stakeholders in producing annual reports and accounts.

6. Statement of the Board of Trustees’ Responsibility

The Board of Trustees of SCFS are responsible for the strategic direction of the charity and for preparing the Trustees' Annual Report and the Financial Statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

Company law requires the Board of Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under that law the trustees have elected to prepare the financial statements in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (United Kingdom Accounting Standards and applicable law). Under company law the trustees must not approve the financial statements unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure of the charitable company for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:

Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently.
Observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP FRS102 (2019);
Make judgements and accounting estimates that are reasonable and prudent.
• State whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements.
Prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charitable company will continue in operation.

The trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the charitable company's transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the group and charitable company and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006.

They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

The trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on the charitable company's website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.

In so far as the trustees are aware:

There is no relevant audit information of which the charitable company's Independent Examiner is unaware: and
The trustees have taken all steps that they ought to have taken to make themselves aware of any relevant information and to establish that the independent examiner is aware of that information.

Approved and authorised for issue by the Board on Wednesday 2[nd] August 2023 and signed on its behalf by:

Steven Thompson Archibald McAvoy Chair On behalf of the Finance & Audit Sub Group

_____ _______