Featuring reflections, stories and news from our members across the UK on Heritage, Faith, Pilgrimage & Welcome, Community, Experience, History & Awe!
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- Let’s go Medieval!
Daniel Parnell, Director of Welcome, Learning & Engagement at Worcester Cathedral, takes us back to a medieval summer…
Fancy hunting a dragon? Firing an arrow? Dancing like a maiden? Or want an Audience with the worst King of England? Well then, Worcester Cathedral was the place to be this summer!
The summer of 2024 was our first attempt as a Cathedral to group our regular summer activities into a “festival” offering, and draw in multiple departments to work closer together than usual in what we offered to our community.
Like most cathedrals for a long time, we have put on “family” friendly craft and activities in the school holidays, offered for free, although with donations encouraged, that cover various themes and ideas. These are usually offered for a few days together during a week or two of the holidays. But the summer is different, as the long six weeks have always prompted us to ask – how can we best play our role in the community in this regard? In the past we have tried putting something on every week on the same day, so local families know it’s there, and also tried concentrating everything together into a few days for a bit of a focused intense period.
The events & visitors’ teams have also offered their own events and activities, traditionally under the loose heading of “Discover Something Different”. But staff changes and team reorganisation as well as an office move that meant the Events, Visitors and Learning teams were all in the same office, has prompted us to try our first joined-up Cathedral summer festival.
The theme we instantly agreed on was “Medieval”, playing a bit fast and loose with what counts as medieval, but leaning into our strong heritage with this period. In the planning, ideas included movies in the Nave, falconers on the green, dress-up box available all week in the Old Bishop’s Palace with photographer available. Finances, logistics and capacity put paid to some of these, but we still managed a lot!
Key to the success of the week was the 4 Dragons that were hired to be situated around the Cathedral, along with a half dozen home-made dragon eggs that populated our Dragons’ Quest.
We had a medieval camp on College Green, on the opposite side of the Cathedral to the city, with archery (plastic) and axe throwing (foam).
Local reenactors got on board and spent the week “hanging out” at the Cathedral, adding to the atmosphere. Plus, our cathedral volunteers joined in with the dressing up too!
Toddler story time and family crafts also brought in a lot of families, and evening talks provided by local experts on medieval themes proved popular for a (mostly) older audience.
Saturday of the festival saw the culmination with King John Day, where several hundred visitors over the course of the day had an audience with “King John” and explored what his tomb tells us about his life, and in the evening, there was a Medieval Banquet in the Great Hall of the Old Bishops Palace.
Was it a success? Well, visitor numbers were up significantly, 56% on the rest of August and 75% on last year – children were up 143% on the rest of August and 3 times as many children came on this Saturday compared to the other Saturdays in August.
Financially, donations were also up in totals, although not significantly, and per person it was the lowest week of August. Both the shop and the café had their best week of the summer, with the café 16% up on sales compared to the rest of August and the shop 12% up. The charged-for activities, which included the Banquet, refreshments and merchandise in the camp (provided by partners, but for which we took a cut) and the talks, brought in enough to cover costs, but not make a huge difference to overall income.
No formal feedback with visitors was carried out, but anecdotal feedback was very positive, and the only negative feedback was when we were unable to carry out some of the smaller, hoped-for activities due to staffing levels caused by illness.
So, our experience was – it was worth it! But there were definite learning opportunities for next year. Yes – we’re going to do it again next year. Bigger…. Maybe, better… hopefully!
Daniel Parnell, Head of Welcome, Learning & Engagement
Worcester Cathedral
- Conference Time… Book NOW!
January 2025 – Cathedrals Plus Annual Conference in Peterborough – time to book!
There’s only 1 week to go until the Earlybird discounted rate expires! Book now! Your organisation can be invoiced once we receive your booking form, so fill in the form here now to secure your place…
Are you coming? It’s an unmissable event if your work involves welcoming, learning and/or hosting events at Christian sacred spaces across the country.
The Cathedrals Plus annual conference provides an opportunity to meet up with colleagues who share the same excitement about their work in organising tours, workshops, talks, exhibitions, education & school visits etc. It’s a fantastic CPD event for those in role as Visitor Welcome/Engagement staff plus all who facilitate learning of/about/in these sacred spaces.
Laura, at Westminster Abbey says:
“I’ve attended Cathedrals Plus Conferences for the past 22 years and have always found them by far the best source of training available to those of us who work in this most unusual environment. Meeting with like-minded people to share ideas, learn from each other and listen to the experts assembled to address us is always inspiring, thought-provoking and endlessly fascinating.”
Not only do we provide inspiring talks and interactive workshops at our conferences, there’s plenty of opportunities for networking, getting to know other and sharing each other’s experiences, ideas and resources. Meeting with colleagues is especially important for those of us who are working in small teams, where the time to talk through problems, work out possible solutions and support each other is vital.
Yvonne, at Liverpool Cathedral says:
“I was able to attend a Cathedral’s Plus conference in 2019, just after starting as education officer. It was a fantastic experience, enabling me to meet other likeminded people in similar roles and learn more about Cathedral education. I was very grateful for the warm welcome extended to me as a complete newbie! The virtual meetings I have been able to attend have also been really useful and I thoroughly enjoy being a part of the organisation.”
Our 2024 annual conference was held in January in Worcester – our first in-person conference after the Covid pandemic restrictions. It was a huge success, and I cannot stress enough how much all delegates valued the time together – physically together – to have fun, eat well, and take away lots of ideas, actions and resources to re-use, adapt and explore back at their own workplace environment.
When asked, ‘What was of most benefit to you on this conference?’ , Worcester delegates responded:
“Really enjoyed the workshops I attended. So amazing and inspiring what other cathedrals have achieved: gave me so much to take back”
“Informal conversations; thoughts on how to approach contested heritage”
“The opportunity for discussion with colleagues – sharing difficulties”
“It gives me a bit of space to think about the overall direction of the learning & public programme. I find talking to my colleagues from other cathedrals really inspiring & supportive”
The Cathedrals Plus Council have rejoiced in all the positive feedback we received from the Worcester conference, and we’ve also responded to requests. Our theme for our 2025 conference is Journeys: travelling together through faith. This conference will be hosted at Peterborough Cathedral, and focuses on how our sacred spaces underpin individual, collective and inter-faith spiritual journeys, both as inspiration and destination. Our workshops and speakers will address topics such as
- contested heritage and the experience of GMH visitors to churches and cathedrals
- providing sensory spaces for the needs of neuro-diverse students
- the ‘F’ word (free)
- balancing the secular and the spiritual
- The Pilgrim’s Journey with the British Pilgrimage Trust
Plus many more thought-provoking sessions and practical resource-sharing opportunities.
The last few details for our conference programme are just being finalised and will be published soon…AND here’s the link to our booking form. If the abbey, cathedral, minster, or greater church where you work is a member of Cathedrals Plus, you can still benefit from the discounted Earlybird rate if you book your place before 13th November. If your organisation isn’t a member, you can still book! You are very welcome to join us – for all the workshops, talks, tours, discussions; to enjoy the networking, the conference dinner and the regional support groups’ sessions as well!
If you have any queries about attending, contact our secretary, Jackie Holderness, by email secretary@cathedralsplus.org.uk
- Our Keystone: Volunteers
By Owen Towndrow of Hereford Cathedral
Many of our cathedrals across the UK owe a great deal to volunteers. Without them, many cathedrals would not be able to open their doors. At Hereford Cathedral, we see our volunteers as our keystone; without them, our Cathedral could not fulfil its key functions.
The Cathedral has 315 volunteers who take on a variety of roles. These include working in our Mappa Mundi & Chained Library Exhibition, serving during Sunday services, welcoming visitors, guiding visitors throughout our gardens, and arranging flowers. Unlike some cathedrals, we rely more on volunteers than staff to operate our visitor activities. We are very proud of our ‘warm welcome,’ frequently praised by visitors, and we owe much of this to our team of Welcomers who ensure visitors feel at ease regardless of their motivations for visiting.
As Visitor Engagement Officer at the Cathedral, I coordinate the volunteers who work in public-facing roles, such as Cathedral Guides. I work closely with our Volunteer Liaison Officer, David, who oversees all volunteers from induction to retirement. David works tirelessly to ensure all volunteers abide by Church of England guidelines.
Working with David, we have reinstated opportunities to give back to our volunteers, which were postponed due to COVID-19 restrictions. In June 2023, we brought back our Volunteers Tea Party, tying it into Volunteers Week. Managed by The National Council for Voluntary Organisations, Volunteers Week is the perfect opportunity to say ‘thank you’ for the thousands of hours of work and support our volunteers provide.
This June this year, we celebrated Volunteers Week again with a Tea Party. We also highlighted the contributions of volunteers who joined in recent years. One such volunteer is Peter O’Neill, who, in addition to his work in our Mappa Mundi & Chained Library Exhibition, developed and runs a Stained Glass Tour—the first of its kind at the Cathedral.
Peter’s work as a volunteer at Hereford Cathedral is inspiring. When asked what advice he would give to prospective volunteers, Peter described volunteering at the Cathedral as “an excellent opportunity—many volunteers become good friends… I can’t imagine a better place to volunteer, surrounded by such historical beauty.” Peter’s sentiments reflect the broader experience of many of our volunteers who find not only a sense of purpose but also a sense of community amongst fellow volunteers. Each volunteer brings unique skills and perspectives, enriching our community and helping us maintain the Cathedral as a vibrant, welcoming place for all.
To support and nurture our volunteers, we offer training for many roles. For example, we have recently introduced volunteer-led ‘refresher sessions’ for all of our guides. We believe that investing in our volunteers’ growth not only enhances their experience but also benefits the Cathedral as a whole.
The sense of community among our volunteers is strong. Social events, such as the Volunteers Tea Party and our Volunteer Evensong, maintains good relationships among volunteers. These events provide an opportunity for volunteers to share their experiences, celebrate their achievements, and simply enjoy each other’s company.
The importance of volunteers to Hereford Cathedral cannot be overstated. They are the keystone of our community, bringing energy, enthusiasm, and a deep sense of commitment to everything they do. As we look to the future, we are committed to continuing to support and celebrate our volunteers, recognising that their contributions are vital to our ongoing success. Their passion and dedication ensure that Hereford Cathedral remains a place of historical significance, spiritual enrichment, and warm hospitality for all who visit.
Owen Towndrow
Visitor Engagement Officer, Hereford CathedralAdditional Links:
NCVO (The National Council for Voluntary Organisations)
Visit Hereford Cathedral:
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