Cathedral launches multi-million pound appeal (From Daily Echo)
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Winchester Cathedral launches major fundraising appeal
12:51pm Sunday 23rd September 2012 in News
Cathedral launches multi-million pound appeal
Winchester Cathedral is set to launch one of the biggest public appeals in Hampshire history today.
The church needs to raise £19 million to pay for ambitious plans to raise the profile of its rich history and pay for vital repairs.
The campaign is being launched at an evensong service this afternoon, where the Dean, the Very Rev James Atwell, will reveal the total that still needs to be raised and how much has already been secured or promised.
A grant of £10m from the Heritage Lottery Fund will be applied for in spring 2013, according to the cathedral.
Annabelle Boyes, cathedral receiver general, said: “The cathedral is at the heart of the community of Hampshire. It is a very special building.”
The money will help pay for the restoration of the leaky presbytery roof, wooden vaulting and surviving medieval stained glass windows, along with refurbishing the Education Centre and renewing the sound system, wiring and lighting, which will alone cost some £2 million.
The cathedral aims to launch three exhibitions, including unveiling the bones of Anglo-Saxon and early medieval kings kept in wooden chests for 1,000 years.
It is keen on undertaking a serious research project into the bones, which include Cnut and William Rufus, including possible DNA analysis.
Mrs Boyes said: “The cathedral was the first Royal mausoleum. In the 900s Winchester Cathedral was the equivalent of Westminster today.”
It also wants to improve the public display of its unique treasures, including the priceless medieval Winchester Bible.
The changes are expected to boost visitor numbers which currently stand at around 330,000 a year.
Comments(17)
Shoong
says...
2:19pm Sun 23 Sep 12
Do one.
freefinker
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2:34pm Sun 23 Sep 12
From the C of E website: -
'The Church Commissioners manage assets worth some £4.8 billion at the end of 2009. The fund includes stock market and property investments, including UK urban property, rural and development land, and a stake in global property funds.'
bazzeroz
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6:42pm Sun 23 Sep 12
Scrutinizer
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7:04pm Sun 23 Sep 12
bazzeroz wrote:Nice one! ;-)
Yeah! Flog your lead instead of having it nicked. Must be a few quid there. Tight wads.
Scrutinizer
says...
7:30pm Sun 23 Sep 12
Bagamn wrote:Quite right! You are absolutely spot on there! The christian church is always pleading poverty, and yet they are loaded! And what their 'creator' think, should he ever make the so called promised return and discover that they are charging for access to a place of worship! Then there is the little matter of the lavish lifestyle their bishops lead too, eg. expensively decorated residences etc! Pathetic...
As the Church is one of the biggest land owners in Britain, why can't they realise some of the value to supplement the cost of the Cathedral? They need to realise that the begging bowl is almost drained in this country and get their hands deep int6o their own pockets.
Mr Cynical
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7:32pm Sun 23 Sep 12
If they can do that, why don't council's try it? They're always moaning that they got no money as well.
Ted Rogers
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8:17pm Sun 23 Sep 12
There are far more community schemes in Hampshire being run on a shoestring and by volunteers that are deserving of access to lottery grants.
This huge, rich, corporate monolith should fund their own refurbishment.
windyboy
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10:01pm Sun 23 Sep 12
chavfreezone
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11:06pm Sun 23 Sep 12
Crumpets89
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11:40pm Sun 23 Sep 12
Ted Rogers
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9:02am Mon 24 Sep 12
Crumpets89 wrote:There are lots of other businesses that provide jobs for many. For them to expand and modernise it has to be organic or they have to borrow against something called profit.
I think you will find that the Church of England and the Church Commissioners are both separate. The Church of England is the present Church established. Each Diocese is independent, each parish is independent. Each and everyone of you I bet enjoys going to the Cathedral or those in the cities you holiday in. You should have to pay to go into the cathedral, unless you are attending a service. At no point do they charge you if you are attending a service, if they don't charge then the whole place will be a wreck and ruin. You should not always expect to get everything for nothing in this life our country is heavily populated with ancient architecture and you would only moan if the taxpayer had to pick up the bill for demolition! Support your heritage!! Support your culture! Support your Country! Remember also the Cathedral and that of the Church of England are providing Jobs for people also!
I would have no problem supporting this cause if the building were part of the National trust- it isn't.
It's a privately owned property by an institution that has enormous assets and as such this whole drive for public funds is an insult.
Georgem
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9:19am Mon 24 Sep 12
Huffter
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9:32am Mon 24 Sep 12
Georgem wrote:Well said!
On the other hand, all of us are perfectly entitled to ask someone else for money, and that someone else is perfectly entitled to donate, or tell us to get stuffed. I don't see why the church should be any different. We all have the option of not donating, I don't get why everyone's acting like this is going to cost them money.
Shoong
says...
9:54am Mon 24 Sep 12
Georgem wrote:I agree, it's the bare faced cheek of it that gets me.
On the other hand, all of us are perfectly entitled to ask someone else for money, and that someone else is perfectly entitled to donate, or tell us to get stuffed. I don't see why the church should be any different. We all have the option of not donating, I don't get why everyone's acting like this is going to cost them money.
Bagamn
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11:36am Mon 24 Sep 12
Stephen J
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5:11pm Mon 24 Sep 12
Bagamn says...
2:14pm Sun 23 Sep 12