keep our staff safe and protected from the pandemic. I then started to think about the potential risks to the business and considered how IIMS could keep revenue streams strong and moving, especially as we were closing in on the purchase of Murrills House. Should we continue with that expensive acquisition or abandon it and stockpile our cash reserves for bad times ahead? These were tough decisions to make. In the end the decision about home working was swiftly made for us when the UK government locked us down in late March; and so began the strangest working environment I have ever experienced that lasted for three months. On the plus side, the weather was exceptional – day after day of warm sunshine. So, once the work was done, those lucky enough to have a garden could get some fresh air.
I was in constant touch with the management board to keep them abreast of what was happening. I had made the decision to keep the whole team fully employed, despite the generous government furlough scheme that was unveiled to guarantee 80% of employees’ salaries, designed to keep people in employment. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but as I look back now it was absolutely the right decision. Many of our fellow Institutes and Associations all but mothballed their operations for a period of time.
Cancelling our regular annual face to face events, such as Palma and Baltimore, was miserable. But out of that grew a series of online presentations - fourteen in total - that seemed to capture the imagination of members, some of which attracted an online audience of 100 plus delegates.
The result as I look back and reflect is that we have had a progressive year given the threats and hurdles the pandemic has put in our way. There are too many achievements for me to list them all, but if I can just mention the two most important it would be 1) survival, keeping the whole team employed
and being ahead of budget 2) acquiring the freehold of Murrills House for the members. The Institute has performed strongly and is financially sound as we reach the end of 2020.
we have invested time and money, working with the module authors and tutors, to update several of the units. This includes refreshing content because of technological developments, legislative changes, and the addition of new student resources.
We have also continued to work hard to enhance the student experience remembering that most of them study in isolation. This has been a positive activity and welcome development much appreciated by all.
EDUCATION
One of the reasons for a strong financial outcome this year has been the exceptional performance of the two award-winning IIMS distance learning Professional Qualifications and Diplomas in Large Yacht & Small Craft and Cargo & Commercial Ship marine surveying. Each quarterly intake has exceeded budget and there are 200+ students currently enrolled in the programme.
In the next couple of weeks, we are about to deliver our first seven- day practical course (COVID-19 pandemic lockdown permitting) for a group of six small craft students which will take place at the Lyme Regis Boat Building Academy in Dorset, UK. This is a significant step and adds a practical element to the course. Delegates will gain hands- on experience of how to work with wood and GRP (in a COVID secure environment). The course will count as one of the four specialist modules required to complete the Diploma. If it is successful, IIMS hopes this will become an annual opportunity for students.
Undoubtedly one of the toughest challenges we face is keeping the thirty plus modules current and up to date. It is a big job! This year
38 | The Report • December 2020 • Issue 94
After each quarterly intake we hold an online ‘freshers’ session. This gives those joining the programme to hear directly from tutors what they expect and how they should approach their studies and assignment compilation. Furthermore, we have organised half a dozen meet the tutor sessions where one specific module is explored, and the subject discussed in detail. These have been well attended by students and has given them the opportunity to ask questions.
MEMBERSHIP
The Institute has had a record number of new applications during 2020 from countries around the world. In the past 12 months, we have doubled the number of new membership applications on the previous year. I have my theories as to why this might be, chief amongst them is the extensive and aggressive below the line digital marketing we have conducted over the past 18 months (more on that later), which seems to be bearing fruit. The other reason could be that we have made the process of applying much easier with the introduction of a simple and effective online form to replace the cumbersome word document that preceded it.
Growing any membership organisation in this age is tough. But one of my goals has always been to say that the number of members has passed the 1,000
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