Missing the MIssion.

 

In 2015, after opening in 1911, the Mission...

donated by Nora Bolitho finally closed its doors to the fishing community in Newlyn...

For 104 years the Mission had been the heart of the fishing community providing somewhere to meet, eat, talk...

play snooker, keep up with the news on the TV...

and wash it all down with endless mugs of tea...

sometimes in the company of Michelin star fish chefs like Tom Aikens. 

Today: 

Today, the Mission building is home to a dance school and no longer provides somewhere for working or retired fishermen to meet, eat, shower or sleep or just sit in quiet contemplation. 

The Mission building, or 'Mish' as it was known, does still have office space from where the local Fishermen's Mission team, Mike Dale and Eddy Fletcher provide outreach support throughout the community - a welcome and invaluable lifeline especially for fishermen struggling financially with physical or mental health reasons. They do sterling work.

But times change.

The history:

The Fishermen's Mission, founded in 1881 to service the seas off Grimsby, Hull and Lowestoft by Ebeneezer Mather to alleviate the suffering endured by fishermen exploited by wealthy, shore-based owners. Many boys entering the industry were taken from London workhouses - sent to sea for weeks at a time. Increasingly, alcohol sold from predatory 'grog' boats and consumed at sea, often led to fatal accidents and contributed to the plight of the hundreds of men and boys that manned the growing fleets of small rowing and sailing fishing vessels of the day.  Mather was inspired to fight the disastrous consequences of fishermen being freely supplied with alcohol by the grog boats - both at sea and ashore - this excerpt from the Mission's book, Among the Deep Sea Fishers shows the problem was a universal one...

ironically, it cites as a potential solution, the availability of land for the creation of an 'institution for fishermen!

Today's industry:

By comparison, today's modern fishing vessels are positively luxurious and are fitted with every safety device available - designed and built to withstand the worst of weather, modern navigation equipment, fish finding and safety electronics, many have showers, and cabins rather than bunks along with well fitted out galleys and clothes washing and drying machines. All are now fully shelter-decked which increases safety and well-being all round - apart from now not getting a good dose of vitamin D from the sun whilst on deck! At sea, crews are looked after in ways like never before - their overall welfare protected even more so since the introduction of ILO 188 in 2018.

Shore leave:

While living conditions at sea have greatly increased for the welfare and working conditions of fishermen the same cannot be said for their lives when ashore in Newlyn. No longer is there a place where they can relax and feel at 'home' in the way that they did when the Mission building served that purpose. This is especially so for the many foreign fishermen on whom so many boats rely on in the fleet today. Some vessels are crewed almost exclusively by men from Latvia, Ghana or the Philippines. 

These guys, most of whom are not motivated to make use of the local pubs -the Mission was by its very definition 'dry'!. On a day when weather or tide sees the harbour full of local and sheltering vessels there may be upwards of 100 foreign contractual crew - all of whom are forced to spend days aboard their vessels as it is their only 'home'. Whatever the circumstances that saw the Fishermen's Mission decide to close its doors back in 2015 there is a greater need than ever to provide for these men in these changing times. 

The Fishermen's Cafe closed its doors in the first lock down - never to re-open.

Both the Fishermen's Mission, the Seafarers Charity ad the Shipwrecked Mariners Society have all widened their provision over recent years to include things like quayside wellbeing and mental health clinics for fishermen.  But, as Neil Brockman, ex-Penlee lifeboat coxswain said recently, "What could be better for fishermen's mental health than somewhere  to eat, meet and relax in the company of others away from the boat?" 

Newlyn needs this kind of facility now more than ever. While the proposed development for Sandy Cove will double the size of the existing harbour and includes plans for such a building this is some years away from completion. The need to provide is now.

Looking ahead:

In 2022, the fishing community, the companies that rely on foreign crews to keep their boats at sea, and the harbour could and should surely come together and find a way to provide a building capable of meeting the needs of those who have no choice but to spend most of their time cooped up on their boats but also those working and retired fishermen where they can be relax together and share stories and experiences - an invaluable opportunity for young fishermen or even wannabe fishermen to learn from the experience of others. 

In the very short term, and in recognition of the need, the Penlee Lifeboat station are running a trial get-together coffee morning this Friday in the RNLi meeting room from 9-11am. Call it a start, but we have long way to go.

There's a comments box below for any suggestions or thoughts!