Save Canterbury!

The Save Canterbury Cathedral Appeal has now reached the £9 million mark. The Appeal, established to fund an extensive £50 million conservation and development programme, has made good progress during the two years since its launch enabling critical conservation work to be carried out.

Following its high profile launch in October 2006, the Appeal quickly settled down to business and has been attracting donations from a number of sources. The focus for the Appeal in the first two years has primarily been the local community of Kent.

Commenting on this new milestone, Matthew Butler, Chief Executive of the Save Canterbury Cathedral Appeal, said; "We have seen a tremendous response to the Appeal in the last year, particularly when considering the current economic climate. We have continued to be delighted by the generosity of people who have donated financially, run events or volunteered their time. There is still a long way to go - £41 million to be precise, and we have much planned for the next few years to ensure we secure these donations."

The next fundraising event will be the Appeal's annual Christmas Concert in the Nave of the Cathedral on Saturday 13th December. "A Baroque Christmas" will feature many popular and familiar classical Christmas pieces performed by members of the English National Opera and the internationally acclaimed choir, The Sixteen. Tickets are £10 and can be purchased on 01227 464764 or by calling into the Appeal's office at 27-28 Burgate, Canterbury, CT1 2HA.

For more information on the Save Canterbury Cathedral Appeal or perhaps to make a donation please contact 01227 865346 or visit the website at www.savecanterburycathedral.com.

The photograph attached is of work to the South East Transept roof that has been funded entirely by donations to the Appeal.

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For further information/requests for interviews, please contact:

Email: nyes@canterburghy-cathedral.org

Notes for editors:

It costs over £14,500 each day to run Canterbury Cathedral which includes £9,000 of daily running costs. Canterbury Cathedral receives minimal external funding and is dependent on its own resources and donations for funding.

It was founded in 597 by St Augustine, who was sent from Rome by Pope Gregory the Great to convert the pagan Anglo-Saxons. It is the oldest institution in the country

In 1170 Thomas Becket was murdered in the Cathedral by four knights, who acted on the words of Kind Henry II "Who will rid me of this turbulent priest?" Within 3 years, Thomas Becket had been made a saint and Canterbury became one of the leading pilgrimage centres of Europe

King Henry VIII destroyed the Shrine of Thomas Becket in 1538

Canterbury Cathedral has long been associated with literature. The Canterbury Tales were written by Chaucer following a pilgrimage to the Cathedral. Christopher Marlowe was educated here. More recently T.S. Eliot and Dorothy L Sayers wrote plays performed in the Cathedral's Chapter House

The Cathedral houses the finest 12th Century stained glass in the UK. The Quire is the earliest Gothic building in the country and the Cathedral has leading examples of every type of Gothic architecture

Canterbury and Durham are the only two cathedrals in the UK that are World Heritage Sites. Other World Heritage Sites include the Taj Mahal, the Grand Canyon and the Great Wall of China.

From the Anglican News Service

--
Fr. Steve Rice
Rector, St Timothy's Episcopal Church
Winston-Salem, NC
www.sttimothys.ws
www.sttims.blogspot.com
336.765.0294