MERCY SHIPS - U.K LTD

Charity overview
Activities - how the charity spends its money
Mercy Ships UK is part of a global charity that uses hospital ships to deliver free healthcare to people in some of the poorest countries in the world. Our volunteers work with host nations to improve healthcare systems by training local medical staff and renovating facilities to leave a lasting legacy. Since 1978, we've visited 56 countries, providing services worth more than £1.2 billion.
Income and expenditure
Data for financial year ending 31 December 2023
Total income:
£9,761,220
Donations and legacies | £9.63m | |
Charitable activities | £0 | |
Other trading activities | £0 | |
Investments | £130.13k | |
Other | £1.83k |
Total expenditure:
£9,544,911
Raising funds | £2.34m | |
Charitable activities | £7.20m | |
Other | £0 |
-£5,246 investments gains (losses)
Charitable expenditure
Charitable expenditure with investment gains
Charitable expenditure
Some charities generate all, or a substantial part, of their income from investments which may have been donated to the charity as endowment or set aside by the charity from its own resources in the past. Such investments usually take the form of stocks and shares but may include other assets, such as property, that are capable of generating income and/or capital growth.
In managing their spending and investments charities need to strike a balance between the needs of future and current beneficiaries. They also need to take account of spending commitments that may stretch over a number of future years. To do this, charities will normally adopt an investment strategy designed to generate both income and capital growth. To maximise returns trustees may commit to investment strategies for several years.
Investments can experience large swings in value so trustees may, in a particular year, decide to realise and spend part of their charity’s capital or to invest part of its income.
By clicking the investment gains checkbox the charitable spending bar is adjusted to take account of capital growth as well as income. This shows the balance the charity is striking, between spending on current beneficiaries and retaining resources for future beneficiaries.
Raising funds and other expenditure | £2.34m | |
Charitable expenditure | £7.20m | |
Retained for future use | £216.31k |
People

45 Employee(s)
9 Trustee(s)
47 Volunteer(s)
Employees with total benefits over £60,000
Number of employees | |
---|---|
£60k to £70k | 3 |
£80k to £90k | 2 |
Fundraising
Trading
Trustee payments
What, who, how, where
- Education/training
- The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives
- Disability
- The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty
- Overseas Aid/famine Relief
- Economic/community Development/employment
- Children/young People
- Elderly/old People
- People With Disabilities
- Other Charities Or Voluntary Bodies
- The General Public/mankind
- Makes Grants To Organisations
- Provides Buildings/facilities/open Space
- Provides Services
- Other Charitable Activities
- Benin
- Cameroon
- Congo
- Congo (Democratic Republic)
- Ghana
- Guinea
- Guinea-bissau
- Ivory Coast
- Liberia
- Madagascar
- Mozambique
- Senegal
- Sierra Leone
- South Africa
- The Gambia
- Togo
Governance
- 21 February 1996: Standard registration
- 22 July 2020: Funds received from 327829 THE JUNE STEVENS FOUNDATION
- 01 April 2021: Funds received from 293585 THE WOODFORD WELLS ECUMENICAL CHURCH TRUST
- 03 January 2023: Funds received from 1140188 HITCHIN CHRISTIAN ASSEMBLY
- 16 February 2023: Funds received from 1055406 THE SANCTUARY CHARITABLE TRUST
- MERCY SHIPS (Working name)
- MERCY SHIPS UK (Working name)
- Complaints handling
- Conflicting interests
- Investment
- Paying staff
- Risk management
- Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
- Volunteer management
Trustees
Trustees are the people responsible for controlling the work, management and administration of the charity on behalf of its beneficiaries. Generally trustees are treasurer, chair, board member etc. The trustees are responsible for keeping this list up to date and can do this by updating their details as they happen through the online service
9 Trustee(s)
Name | Role | Date of appointment | Other trusteeships | Reporting status of other trusteeships | ||||
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Bernard Hickman | Trustee | 01 January 2025 |
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Michael Spence Dr | Trustee | 25 March 2022 |
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Ade Adeyemi | Trustee | 04 January 2022 |
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Dr Michelle Claire White | Trustee | 01 December 2021 |
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Leo Hurk-Hang Cheng | Trustee | 16 September 2020 |
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Naiomi Ashanthi Thalayasingam | Trustee | 16 March 2020 |
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Lois Boyle | Trustee | 04 July 2018 |
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Angharad Jane Milenkovic | Trustee | 14 March 2018 |
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PAUL BENJAMIN RAMSBOTTOM MA, MST | Trustee | 12 June 2015 |
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Financial history
Financial period end date
Income / Expenditure | 31/12/2019 | 31/12/2020 | 31/12/2021 | 31/12/2022 | 31/12/2023 | ||
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Total gross income | £7.01m | £8.76m | £9.34m | £9.93m | £9.76m | |
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Total expenditure | £6.78m | £8.41m | £8.59m | £8.76m | £9.54m | |
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Income from government contracts | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
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Income from government grants | N/A | £328.18k | N/A | £685.51k | N/A | |
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Income - Donations and legacies | £6.96m | £8.74m | £9.34m | £9.88m | £9.63m | |
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Income - Other trading activities | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | |
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Income - Charitable activities | £15.76k | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | |
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Income - Endowments | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | |
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Income - Investment | £41.91k | £20.84k | £6.98k | £10.11k | £130.13k | |
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Income - Other | £0 | £0 | £0 | £33.40k | £1.83k | |
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Income - Legacies | £1.52m | £1.69m | £0 | £2.43m | £1.88m | |
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Expenditure - Charitable activities | £5.09m | £6.54m | £6.66m | £6.62m | £7.20m | |
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Expenditure - Raising funds | £1.69m | £1.87m | £1.93m | £2.14m | £2.34m | |
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Expenditure - Governance | £11.40k | £22.27k | £0 | £20.90k | £31.94k | |
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Expenditure - Grants institution | £0 | £0 | £0 | £4.92m | £5.16m | |
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Expenditure - Investment management | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | |
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Expenditure - Other | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 |
Assets and liabilities
Definitions for assets and liabilities
These are assets, other than investments, which are held for more than 12 months and used to run and administer the charity such as buildings, offices, exhibits and fixtures and fittings.
Long term InvestmentsInvestments are assets held by the charity with the sole aim of generating income which will be used for their charitable purposes such as deposit accounts, shares, rental property and unit trusts.
Investment assets are re-valued every year and included in the balance sheet at their current market value.
Long term investments are held for more than 12 months.
These are assets held generally for less than 12 months such as cash and bank balances, debtors, investments to be sold within the coming year and trading stock.
Defined benefit pension scheme asset or liabilityThis is a surplus or deficit in any defined benefit pension scheme operated and represents a potential long-term asset or liability.
Total liabilitiesThese are all the amounts owed by the charity at the balance sheet date to third parties such as bills due but not yet paid, bank overdrafts and loans and mortgages.
Asset / Liability | 31/12/2019 | 31/12/2020 | 31/12/2021 | 31/12/2022 | 31/12/2023 | ||
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Own use assets | £11.75k | £5.55k | £3.59k | £9.91k | £12.13k | |
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Long-term investments | £275.39k | £296.99k | £322.46k | £300.95k | £308.87k | |
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Other assets | £4.28m | £4.74m | £5.40m | £6.60m | £7.02m | |
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Defined benefit pension scheme asset or liability | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | |
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Total liabilities | £152.48k | £257.84k | £165.63k | £211.20k | £428.83k |
Accounts and annual returns
Title | Reporting year | Date received | Received | Download |
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Annual return | 31 December 2023 | 29 March 2024 | On Time | |
Accounts and TAR | 31 December 2023 | 29 March 2024 | On Time | Download Open in new window |
Annual return | 31 December 2022 | 15 May 2023 | On Time | |
Accounts and TAR | 31 December 2022 | 15 May 2023 | On Time | Download Open in new window |
Annual return | 31 December 2021 | 31 March 2022 | On Time | |
Accounts and TAR | 31 December 2021 | 31 March 2022 | On Time | Download Open in new window |
Annual return | 31 December 2020 | 31 March 2021 | On Time | |
Accounts and TAR | 31 December 2020 | 31 March 2021 | On Time | Download Open in new window |
Annual return | 31 December 2019 | 27 March 2020 | On Time | |
Accounts and TAR | 31 December 2019 | 27 March 2020 | On Time | Download Open in new window |
Governing document
It is not the full text of the charity's governing document.
MEMORANDUM AND ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED 17TH JANUARY 1996. AS AMENDED BY WRITTEN RESOLUTION DATED 13TH JUNE 2008
Charitable objects
TO RELIEF POVERTY, SICKNESS AND DISTRESS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD; THE ADVANCEMENT OF EDUCATION THROUGH OUT THE WORLD; THE ADVANCEMENT OF CHRISTIAN RELIGION THROUGHOUT THE WORLD;AND SUCH OTHER CHARITABLE PURPOSES ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD AS THE DIRECTORS MAY DETERMINE.
Area of benefit
NOT DEFINED
Contact information
- Address:
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The Lighthouse
Unit 12
Meadway Court
Rutherford Close
Stevenage
SG1 2EF
- Phone:
- 01438727800
- Email:
- info@mercyships.org.uk
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