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The Royal Maundy Service 2024

The annual Royal Maundy Service will be coming to Worcester on Thursday 28 March when Her Majesty The Queen will be distributing the Royal Maundy gifts on behalf of His Majesty The King at Worcester Cathedral. Ceremonial coins will be presented to 75 men and 75 women from around the country, including 39 people from our own diocese covering Worcestershire and Dudley. The gift is presented in recognition of their exemplary Christian service to church and community over many years.

The tradition of presenting alms on Maundy Thursday goes back to at least the 4th Century and in this country, the first record of The Monarch doing it is in 1213. In recent times it has been the tradition for the service to travel to different cathedrals and it last took place in Worcester in 1980.  The service last year was attended by The King and Queen and was held at York Minster. The number of men and women receiving the Maundy Money is equivalent to the Monarch’s age. For the purpose of the service, our Cathedral will become a ‘Chapel Royal’ with the Chapel Royal Choir singing alongside the Cathedral choir.

The Maundy service will take place in the morning and will be attended by invited representatives from across the diocese and county, including the recipients and their guests.

The word ‘Maundy’ comes from the Latin word meaning ‘Commandment’. It was on this Thursday, the day before he died, that Jesus gave his disciples what he described as a new commandment: ‘that you should love one another as I have loved you.’

Photo credit | Duncan Lomax

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Three Choirs Festival celebrates nature in thrilling programme for Worcester this summer

The Three Choirs Festival has announced a thrilling new programme for its 2024 edition, with a celebration of nature and its enduring influence on composers and musicians at its heart. Taking place in and around Worcester from 27 July to 3 August, the festival features a superb selection of works old and new by composers including Edward Elgar, Gustav Holst, Bob Chilcott and Judith Weir.

Highlights of this year’s festival include Elgar’s epic The Kingdom, Holst’s exotic masterpiece The Cloud Messenger, and Bob Chilcott’s thought-provoking The Angry Planet, with performances from the Three Choirs Festival Chorus, the Festival Youth Choir, Festival Voices, Three Cathedral Choirs, the world-renowned BBC Singers, and orchestra-in-residence the Philharmonia. There will also be smaller, more intimate concerts, including laid back late-nights, daytime song and instrumental recitals, and a lively programme of family events, as the festival welcomes an exciting range of soloists and performers including Anna Lapwood, Marta Fontanals-Simmons, Robert Plane, Francesca Chiejina, Jocelyn Freeman and Toby Spence.

The festival marks Holst’s 150th anniversary, the 100th anniversary of Stanford’s death, and the 70th birthdays of Judith Weir and the late Steve Martland, as well as featuring a range of new music, such as the UK premiere of Sarah Kirkland Snider’s Mass for the Endangered and festival commissions from Nathan James Dearden, Paul Mealor and Luke Lewis.

Chief Executive Alexis Paterson said: It’s been a joy working with Sam on this year’s programme, with his clear vision to celebrate the natural world and the wonders of our planet through some truly beautiful and, at times, thought-provoking music. We can’t wait to welcome everyone to the festival this summer. There really is so much to discover, whether you’re a seasoned concert-goer looking for world-class performances, a family wanting to enjoy music together in a fun-filled family event, or eager for something a little different in our late-night series. 

Artistic Director Samuel Hudson said: It is always an exciting moment when a festival programme is unveiled, and this year is no exception! I am very much looking forward to the 2024 Three Choirs Festival in Worcester, and to a programme filled with breadth and variety, while rooted firmly in the rich tradition which the festival rightly holds so dear. I hope the festival programme will attract many people from far and wide to Worcester this summer!

Booking for the 2024 Three Choirs Festival opens in April and full programme details can be found at 3choirs.org from 10am on 15 March 2024. 

Photo credit: Michael Whitefoot

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Worcester Cathedral's Annual Pancake Race 2024

Wolfson Foundation Grant Boost for Landscaping Project

We're so grateful to The Wolfson Foundation for awarding us a £200,000 grant towards the restoration and interpretation of College Yard.
The project will see improvements to the main north entrance to the Cathedral, transforming it into a more welcoming green square where the Cathedral and city come togeth­er. Work has begun in earnest this week with tree management plans in action and archaeological work is set to start in the coming weeks.  
College Yard is blessed with significant monuments and trees, but has been plagued with car parking misuse, varying surface quality and poor signage, making it in need of a facelift.
This latest grant will assist us in achieving our vision of providing an attractive greenspace, better entrance points and gate­ways, improved signage and wayfinding, and providing a safe and welcoming place for visitors. The plan is to further improve accessibility, encourage active travel and reduce on-site parking, improve biodiversity, surface water manage­ment, lighting, interpretation and opportunities for learning.
Part of a bigger vision to improve the wider Cathedral precincts, work will continue throughout 2024 and beyond, laying the foundations for this exciting project.

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The Archbishop of Canterbury's Visit

SATURDAY 3 FEBRUARY 2024 | 2.15pm

The most senior bishop of the Church of England, Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, will be touring across Worcestershire on Saturday 3 February and visiting the Cathedral along the way!
He will be attending services in Dudley, Pershore and Worcester to pray for the Diocese as well as for peace and justice throughout the world in 2024 and beyond.
The Bishop of Worcester, John Inge, said: "I'm delighted that Archbishop Justin has agreed to spend a day with us in February.
"As Christians, prayer should be the bedrock of all we do, and this day will provide an opportunity for us to support each other as we pray together.
"I hope that it will be an extremely affecting and inspirational day. Please do join us."
The Archbishop will visit the Cathedral at 2.15pm. He will lead a service of prayer and worship followed by the opportunity to visit various prayer stations around the Cathedral.
All are welcome to join us and there is no need to book.

Photo credit: Lambeth Palace Picture Partnership

Services

Appointing a new Dean

The process of appointing a new Dean of Worcester continues to move forward with confirmation of the names of those who will sit on the panel. 

The panel for appointing each Dean is always chaired by a lay member of a church in the Diocese who has wide and senior experience in public life. Lord (Anthony) Hughes of Ombersley, a retired Supreme Court judge, will chair the panel for Worcester. The other members are Bishop John, the Dean of another cathedral, a lay member of Bishop’s Council, a member of the Cathedral’s College of Canons and a representative of the Cathedral Chapter. The Prime Minister’s Appointments Secretary, representing the Crown, and the Archbishops’ Secretary for Appointments (or a deputy) are non-voting members.

The panel will meet in late January to agree a role specification, ahead of which time consultations will have been held with representatives of the wider Cathedral community and the Diocese. The Cathedral Chapter and the Bishop also each produce a document outlining the challenges facing the cathedral and the qualities they would like to see in the next Dean.

The post of Dean of Worcester will then be advertised and the panel meet to shortlist candidates in mid-March.  Interviews will be held in early May and an appointment announced as soon as possible after that.

Bishop John said:

“Please continue to pray for the process of appointing a new Dean of Worcester and for all the members of the panel as we meet. This is a crucial appointment in the Diocese and it is very important to know that people in all of our churches are praying.”

Members of the panel:

  • Lord Anthony Hughes - Chair
  • The Rt Revd Dr John Inge - Bishop of Worcester
  • The Very Revd David Monteith  - Cathedral Representative (Dean of Canterbury Cathedral)
  • Revd Canon David Nichol - College of Canons Representative
  • Ms Harriet Chimani - Bishop’s Council Representative
  • Canon Dr David Bryer - Chapter Representative

Non Voting

  • Mrs Helen Dimmock, MBE - Crown Ecclesiastical Secretary
  • Mr David Wicksteed - Appointments and Vocations Adviser

Find out more about Worcester Cathedral

Three Choirs Festival 2024: What to Expect When the Festival Returns to Worcester

It’s always nice to have something to look forward to as we head into winter, and those living in or visiting Worcester next summer need look no further than the return of the Three Choirs Festival to Worcester Cathedral. The festival moves between Gloucester, Hereford and Worcester, bringing renowned soloists and national orchestras to the three counties and showcasing the best of choral music.
The festival has already announced the programme for the evening concerts, which will take place in Worcester Cathedral between 27 July and 3 August. With so much on offer throughout the week, highlights include Elgar’s The Kingdom, music from Holst and Stanford, and premieres of two new festival commissions from Nathan James Dearden and Paul Mealor. Taking the natural world as the source of inspiration, the programme also features Bob Chilcott’s The Angry Planet, Sarah Kirkland Snyder’s Mass for the Endangered and Respighi’s The Birds. Performers coming to Worcester include the BBC Singers, Anna Lapwood, and the festival’s orchestra in residence, the Philharmonia. 
The full programme will be revealed in March, and will include daytime recitals, family events and talks, as well as a series of late-night concerts to round off the day. There will also be a lively Festival Village outside the cathedral, which will play host to local performers and food and drink stalls.

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Tower Pinnacle Project

In the early hours of 27 November 2021, Storm Arwen tore a pinnacle from the Northeast corner of the Cathedral Tower. 

The stone fell through the roof of the North Quire Aisle, damaging the 14th Century vaulted ceiling beneath.  

The vaulting and the roof were repaired in 2022, and the new pinnacle, crafted by our talented stonemasons, was placed in November 2023. 

Watch a Timelapse Journey of the New Pinnacle

Community Loyalty Card

In October we launched our brand new Community Loyalty Card. The card is free of charge and those wishing to join can simply turn up, fill in their details and pick up their card from the welcome desk.
The aim of the card is to make visitors feel part of the connected Cathedral community, to ensure that regular visitors are not asked to donate each time they visit and to receive occasional and seasonal discounts and benefits going forward.

Daniel Parnell, Director of Learning and Welcome, said: “We want Worcester Cathedral to be a welcoming place for all of our visitors, whether they attend regularly, or just once, we wanted to do something to make everyone feel part of the Cathedral community, and also to offer discounts and benefits at certain times of the year.
“Our friendly team of hardworking Visitor Welcome Assistants are stationed at the main entrance to ensure that everyone who comes through the door receives a warm welcome. They also ask those who feel able to make a donation towards the running costs and upkeep of this magnificent building. These new cards will help them to easily identify first time visitors, who perhaps need more help and guidance to make the most of their visit and allow our regular visitors and worshippers to be easily identified too.
“We hope to see lots of people picking up their cards and really becoming part of our wonderful community.” 
Everyone is eligible for a card, so if you love the Cathedral, do pick one up!

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More Than 6,000 Attend Big Green Eco Family Fair

Our Eco Team was delighted when more than 6,000 eco-minded local folk attended the second annual Big Green Eco Family Fair on Saturday 7 October.

Part of the Eco Group’s ‘Living Gently on the Earth’ series – Free events, funded by the National Lottery, that aim to help us learn how to live more gently on the earth - The Big Green Eco Fair launched in October 2022, to a positive response, and has grown in popularity.

This year’s event was officially and beautifully opened by Worcester Cathedral’s Youth Choir in the Chapter House, with many different green groups joining forces to demonstrate the importance of taking care of our planet and of valuing the precious nature that sustains us all. 

There were gardening groups with apple pressing, potted plants and cuttings, wildflower bouquets, wood whittling, fruit and veg, children’s activities with campfire storytelling and craft workshops. There were also edible and medicinal plant foraging tours in the Cathedral grounds, with a repair café, waste reduction advice and energy saving experts on hand. These were all joined by numerous environmental campaigning and special interest nature groups such as Greenpeace and RSPB to name just a couple. 

The main crowd-pulling star of the show however was the ‘Worth the Weight’ vintage clothes sale in College Hall. Based in Sheffield, ‘Worth the Weight’ was founded in 2018 as a way of fighting fast fashion. The team travels the length and breadth of the country selling tonnes of quality vintage stock every weekend.

Lay Canon and Eco Group Member, Staffan Engstrom, said: “We were absolutely overwhelmed by the masses of people that turned out for our second Eco Fair! We were stunned and delighted to welcome 6,000 or more people, with 5,500 recorded through the Cathedral’s main entrance and many more directly through College Hall.

“A huge well done to the team who planned and managed such a lovely day and a big thank you to everyone who joined us to make it the incredible success it was!”

Worcester Cathedral Eco Group

Interim Dean of Worcester Appointed by the Bishop

Following the retirement of the Dean Emeritus of Worcester, the Very Revd Peter Atkinson last month, the Vice-Dean, the Revd Canon Dr Stephen Edwards has been appointed as Interim Dean by the Bishop of Worcester, the Right Revd Dr John Inge.

Canon Edwards was installed as a Residentiary Canon at Worcester Cathedral in September 2019.

Canon Edwards said: “I am extremely honoured to have been appointed Interim Dean. Just over four years ago the Cathedral Community welcomed me as I was installed as a Residentiary Canon and I often reflect on how these past years have seen a great deal of change. One of those changes which I certainly didn’t foresee was my appointment as Interim Dean by the Bishop of Worcester. I started in this new position at the end of August and feel honoured to be taking this role for the months ahead. The retirement of a number of deans across the Church of England means that I am one of a significant number of Interim Deans – some are internal appointments like mine, others are external. The past four years have given me a good foundation for all that lies ahead but most of all I want to record my personal gratitude to Peter and to the Cathedral Community for their support and indeed continuing welcome.

“I am excited to serve the Cathedral, City and County over the next 12 or so months. Worcester Cathedral is one of England’s finest churches and is at the heart of a vibrant city and region. It is a privilege to be part of community of prayer, learning, and welcome and I look forward to the coming months working with colleagues, volunteers, congregations, and the wider community in ensuring the Cathedral’s ministry continues to be a beacon of hope and place of welcome to all.“

Stephen was ordained in 1996, serving first in the Church in Wales. He was a priest in the Diocese of Manchester from 2002 until 2019, initially Rector of the inner-city parish of St Agnes’ Longsight before moving in 2012 to be Team Rector of Wythenshawe. He was also Area Dean of Withington and the Bishop of Manchester’s advisor for liturgy and worship as well as the co-ordinator of the Manchester Estate Ministry Network. His interests include architecture, ales and a love of dogs! 

It is Church of England procedure to appoint an Interim Dean to serve in the role until a new permanent Dean is installed. The appointment of a new Dean of Worcester is made by The Crown.

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The Dean of Worcester Retires After 16 Years

The Dean of Worcester, the Very Reverend Peter Atkinson, officially retired on Friday 25 August, after more than 16 years in the post, and 43 years as a priest in the Church of England. His resignation was accepted by Queen Elizabeth II very shortly before her death.

Marking his retirement, Peter said: “To have been Dean of Worcester has been the great privilege of my life. My family and I have lived in the centre of an historic city, and at the heart of a beautiful county. I have had a small share in the custodianship of one of England’s great cathedrals and been surrounded by a wonderful team of people. I thank God for all that I have learnt during my time here, and I will continue to pray for the Cathedral under the leadership of a new Dean.”

The Vice-Dean of Worcester, Canon Stephen Edwards, has been appointed Interim Dean by the Bishop of Worcester, and will serve in the role until a new Dean is appointed and installed.

A special Evensong will be held at the Cathedral at 4pm on Sunday 10 September, to mark the Dean’s retirement. All are warmly welcome to attend. The Cathedral’s Guild of Bellringers will also ring a full peal from 12-4pm to celebrate Peter’s time in post and all that he achieved during this time.

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We've Been Awarded the Trip Advisor Traveller's Choice Award 2023!

We're absolutely thrilled to have been awarded the Trip Advisor Travellers' Choice 2023 Award - placing us in the top 10% of attractions worldwide!
Each year Trip Advisor recognises travellers’ favourite attractions around the world, based on reviews and ratings collected over the last year.
Your opinions and stories helped us to win this amazing accolade - thank you SO much!

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We're Visit Worcestershire Tourism Awards Finalists!

We're absolutely delighted to announce that Worcester
Cathedral is a finalist in the Large Visitor Attraction of the
Year category of the Visit Worcestershire Tourism Awards 2023/24!
The winners will be announced at a special ceremony in March 2024. 
Wish us luck! 

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We're Dog Friendly!

We're paw-sitively delighted to announce that from Monday 17 July we'll be welcoming visitors’ four-legged companions through our doors (with a well-behaved owner of course)!

We love animals. Our annual pet blessing service has now featured on TV twice and our Christmas Eve crib service featuring live animals attracts thousands each year.

Therefore, we will be welcoming dogs both in our beautiful grounds and inside the building this summer.

We'd like you to help us consider whether this becomes permanent by following a few simple guidelines.

Please click here to read our brand new Dog Policy! 

The Vice-Dean, Canon Stephen Edwards, said:We’ve listened to our visitors’ feedback and have decided to trial a period throughout the summer where dogs are welcome inside the Cathedral for visiting.

“We cannot wait to welcome our four-legged friends into the Cathedral. Dogs are so important to so many of our visitors and bring much love and joy to their families. So, we felt it was only right that we welcome them into the Cathedral, where we hope our visitors will be able to enjoy the beauty of the building with their canine companions.”

By welcoming visitors’ four-legged friends, we hope to take the doggy biscuit when it comes to places to visit this summer.

We hope you like our new paw-licy and we're not barking up the wrong tree! We'll be listening to visitors’ feedback throughout the summer to decide whether this becomes a permanent arrangement.

Dogs are welcome to explore the Cathedral, and its grounds, during visiting hours (Monday – Saturday, 10am-5pm and Sunday, 1-3 pm). 

Dogs

£20,000 Music Trust Grant is Music to Our Ears!

We are incredibly grateful to have been awarded a grant for £20,000 by the Cathedral Music Trust to support the cost of singing tuition for our choristers for a year.  

Samuel Hudson, Our Director of Music, said: "We are extremely grateful to the CMT for this generous grant, which goes right to the heart of supporting music at Worcester Cathedral. The grant will enable us to continue to provide the highest quality singing tuition to all members of our choirs and maintain a safe and well-resourced environment in which all our singers can give their best. We offer our heartfelt thanks to the CMT for their support of cathedral music here in Worcester, and indeed throughout the country."

The Dean, Peter Atkinson, added: "The best case for cathedral music is for it to be heard as widely as possible.

"The Coronation had the wonderful effect of bringing English choral music to the attention of the world, and every cathedral, on a somewhat smaller scale, is doing the same in our cities and counties. We are very grateful to the Cathedral Music Trust for its support." 

The grant is part of a huge funding boost by the CMT for 26 Cathedral Choirs, totalling nearly £450,000 which has been allocated to enable choirs to expand their work with musicians and young people. 

Thank you so much Cathedral Music Trust!! 

 

Learn More About the Cathedral Music Trust

All Four Peregrine Chicks have Fledged!

All four peregrine chicks are doing well and gaining confidence with their wings.
There have been a few rescues, but this is quite normal and all chicks are healthy and beginning to learn to hunt, with their parents help.
A big thank you to everyone who sent in naming suggestions. We've had so many fabulous names sent in, it's been really tough to pick!
We're really pleased to announce the following names for our family:
  • Mum: Peggy
  • Dad: Peter (to mark the Dean's retirement)
  • Chick: Penguin (we just loved the story of the person who misheard talk of 'penguin' falcons)
  • Chick: Penelope
  • Chick: Percie
  • Chick: Mr Lazy (the male who took forever to fledge)!
  • Since Mr Lazy fledged on Saturday the nest is now empty, so the livestream has ended.
Thank you so much to everyone who tuned in to watch their progress, our livestream received nearly 400,000 views from across the globe! We're delighted to have once again seen four healthy chicks hatch and fledge from the nest. The family should remain around the Cathedral until August / September, before the chicks fly off to find their own territories. And we look forward to hopefully welcoming Peter and Peggy back next year!

Worcester Peregrines

A Milestone for Red Hill

A brand-new replica milestone crafted by our stonemasonry apprentice, Debbie Branford, has been installed at Red Hill; commemorating the Worcester Turnpike Trust, which charged tolls to maintain and improve 160 miles of radial roads between 1725 and 1875.

The new milestone was unveiled at a special ceremony on Saturday 20 May.

The aim of the project is to raise awareness of the historical significance of such waymarkers, especially with young people and those who are responsible for their survival.

The unveiling was attended by the new Mayor, Councillor Louis Stephen, who congratulated Debbie; noting the importance of the skills that she was learning, commenting that heritage is not permanent and our historic buildings such as the Cathedral, Guildhall and milestones require on-going restoration and repair; Debbie would be part of the future in keeping our heritage alive!

Milestones are classed as Listed Buildings. The new milestone also marks the WEG’s Wild about Worcester Way and the Worcester Civic Society’s Heritage Trail around the city. The unveiling ceremony was attended by representatives of a wide range of organisations, including The Milestone Society, the WEG and the Civic Society, as well as former and current councillors, Worcestershire Highways and their contractors Ringway, who installed the milestone. The event presented a valuable opportunity for these organisations to share local knowledge and raise awareness of the historic significance of these waymarkers.

Stonemasonry

A Very Irreverend Evening with the Dean

6:30pm Tuesday 13 June, Worcester Cathedral

Join the Very Reverend Peter Atkinson, Dean of Worcester, for an evening of anecdotes and behind-the-scenes stories from the last 16 years at Worcester Cathedral. 

An opportunity to hear the Dean’s tales before his final farewell on 10th September; join us for a wonderful evening of entertainment at this unique fundraiser in the nave of Worcester Cathedral,  to celebrate Peter Atkinson’s service to the Cathedral and community of Worcester over the last 16 years.

Refreshments will be available in the Cloister during the interval, and we also invite you to join the Dean for a drinks reception in the Chapter House following his talk (limited tickets available).

Funds raised from the night will be used to support the Cathedral with ongoing preservation, conservation and running costs.

The Dean’s newly published book of sermons, A Way of Putting It, will also be available for purchase on the night at a special price of £10 (RRP £14.99).  The book includes 50 of the Dean’s sermons, preached over the past 30 years, a foreword by the Bishop of Worcester, an afterword by the Archbishop of York, and an essay on the art of preaching by Michael Brierley and Georgina Byrne.

Book Tickets

Join us to Celebrate the Coronation

A Service of Thanksgiving in Celebration of the Coronation of King Charles III, Sunday 7 May, 4pm

Join us for Evensong with a county celebration of the Coronation of HM King Charles III and HM The Queen Consort. All are warmly welcome to join us for Evensong.

Ring for the King, Saturday 6 May, 12-4pm

Worcester Cathedral Guild of Bellringers will ring a full-peal from 12-4pm as part of the national ‘Ring for the King’ initiative.

Coronation Art Installation, 5 May – 22 May

From 5 to 22 May, a Coronation themed art installation will be on display in the West Cloister.

Coronation Floral Arrangements, 3 - 9 May

The Cathedral’s Flower Guild will display beautiful Coronation-themed floral arrangements around the Cathedral from 3 May, and throughout the Coronation weekend.  

The Big Help Out, Monday 8 May

Come along and meet our volunteers, from 11am – 2pm, to learn more about volunteering at Worcester Cathedral. Find out how you could help to enhance our visitors’ experience and play your part in preserving over 1,000 years of history and heritage.  

Royal Tours, Tuesday 9 May at 12pm & Thursday 11 May at 2pm

Come and explore our royal connections through history.

Royal Library Tours, Monday 8 May & Tuesday 9 May

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We're A Silver Eco Church!

We're delighted to have achieved the Silver Eco Church Award, by A Rocha UK – the Christian environmental charity committed to equipping churches and their congregations to care for the environment.

After achieving Bronze last year, the Eco Group has been busy working towards Silver, implementing a number of initiatives to improve our eco rating and involve the whole community.

The most recent of which, a rewilding project to create a wildlife habitat, has been picked as one of Co-op UK’s Local Community Fund causes for the second year running.

Last year the Eco Group was awarded National Lottery Funding for its ‘Living Gently on the Earth’ project; a series of community events, talks and workshops on caring for our planet.

Around 10, well-attended sessions have been hosted over the past year, including a vegetarian cooking demo, ethical investments, reducing and acting on waste and plastic, growing your own food, active travel, energy use and measuring and acting on your carbon footprint.

We also held a Big Green Eco Fair in the medieval cloister last October and look forward to making it an annual event for the whole community to come together and celebrate eco-friendly living.

Amongst other work, an Energy Assessment and Carbon Emissions Report has also been completed, renewable energy sources explored, rainwater collection facilities and bird-feeders installed around the site, annual wildlife and wildflower surveys implemented and composting facilities utilised. We have also been engaging with local MPs on a number of issues.

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