… and we will soon be heading to Dublin for our INSPIRING LIVES conference at Saint Patrick’s and Christ Church Cathedrals!
The closing date for booking to join us for our annual conference is looming – it’s the 12th December 2025.
If you haven’t yet completed your booking form or reached out to us for more information, please get in touch asap. You can email me with any queries sarah.page@cathedralsplus.org.uk
We are extremely grateful to the teams at Saint Patrick’s and Christ Church Cathedrals who have been working hard to finalise our programme and manage the logistics and equipment needed. We have confirmed guest speakers, workshop leaders and exhibits that are all sure to inspire, inform, and entertain you! The conference theme is INSPIRING LIVES, and so we are certainly planning an event that will do just that.
We are delighted that the Revd Dr Alex Wimberly, leader of the Corrymeela Community in Northern Ireland, will be our Keynote Speaker on Day 1.
On Day 2, the Revd Abigail Sines will share her experiences with us of the outreach work she initiates in the Carrigrohane Union of Parishes.
On Day 3, Kelley Bermingham, the Community Officer at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, will explore how the historic sanctuary space in the cathedral welcomes not just theological discussions, but sociological, economic, justice and political discourse too.
Our workshop leaders offer a range of topics relevant to our theme and to the work that our delegates undertake: how to keep our cathedrals thriving (engagement & funding); programming for visitors of different or no faith; hospitality for at-risk groups and communities; heritage & conservation; music outreach; resources for schools & educators experiencing sacred space; festivals, events & celebrations; plus the healing ministry of the Church in all its guises.
Our Panel Discussion will be focused on “The Ministry of Welcome”, with additional guest panelists invited from the locally engaged communities in Dublin.
The timetable for the 3 days of the conference is packed, although there is of course some down-time scheduled for delegates to absorb and reflect of their experiences. We have arranged local tours to Dublin’s tourist and heritage sites, and we are also looking forward to the culinary delights that our caterers will present!
Our sponsors for the conference have been very generous and we are extremely grateful for their support. Thank you to Rathbornes, CCLA, Ecclesiastical Insurance (UK and Ireland) and Westhill.
We will also be launching our INSPIRING LIVES project at this 2026 conference in January, inviting our members and partners to share with us the stories of people of faith who have inspired them. The project is in its early stages of development and we will be circulating more details very soon. Click here for the project outline.
With regard to formal business, we also hold the Cathedrals Plus AGM at our annual conference, and we will be voting on adopting our updated constitution, as well as sharing information about our membership network and development opportunities for our charity.
So, look out for the latest issue of our conference programme – it will be published very soon on our website here.
Don’t forget, the closing date for bookings is 12th December 2025. If you work in a cathedral or Christian sacred space and coordinate and lead school visits, organise and host events for visitors and tourists or welcome pilgrims, please consider joining us. The benefits of networking with colleagues in similar roles in cathedrals across the UK and Ireland are significant. In addition to the free resources, our conferences are an invaluable CPD opportunity, as Laura at Westminster Abbey says,
“I have always found [the conferences] by far the best source of training available to those of us who work in this most unusual environment.“
If you’re still not sure, you will be pleased to hear that we have a special offer for cathedrals and sacred spaces in Scotland, Wales and Ireland, plus other cathedrals and sacred spaces who are not yet members of Cathedrals Plus. Email me sarah.page@cathedralsplus.org.uk to check your eligibility, or find out more.
We do hope to see you in Dublin.
NB. We are NOT able to support any applications or requests to attend that require a Visa. Our conference is offered to delegates who currently work in a Cathedral or large Christian sacred space in the UK, the Republic of Ireland or Europe, in roles of Heritage Education & Learning, Visitor Engagement or Events and who are also known to us.
Thank you!
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