Other Ways to be Involved
It costs an average of £4,500 a day to maintain Winchester Cathedral and its mission.
Winchester Cathedral is part of the legacy the nation has inherited in the shape of glorious cathedrals, abbeys and parish churches which are, in their turn, enriched by a marvellous heritage of art and music. The responsibility for maintaining this visible and cultural inheritance has been passed down to us from a Church which in the Middle Ages became immensely rich through the benefactions of powerful donors.
The Church today is no longer rich in those terms: much of its wealth was dispersed by Henry VIII or, at a later date, used to support the Church's work in poorer parts of the country. But the cost of conserving the ancient buildings in its charge amounts to £100 million a year. Winchester Cathedral is no exception. We no longer receive any money from the English Heritage Cathedral Grant Scheme, and financial assistance form the Church Commissioners is falling year by year.
So, while we have a mission and the spiritual resources to maintain that mission, we are heavily reliant upon voluntary donations of all kinds in order to keep our building safe and in good condition.
There are many ways that you can help the Cathedral, but the following may be of specific interest…
The budget for the Music and Liturgy Department of the Cathedral seeks to cover the annual cost of maintaining the ministry of our boy and girl choristers and lay clerks, the organists, and associated costs, and a legacy might be made to benefit the Music Foundation.
The Fabric Fund, on the other hand, aims to ensure the financing of the Cathedral’s extensive and continuous programme of maintenance and renovation of the building, inside and out.
The Cathedral Chapter would respect any restrictions on a legacy, but would ask that care should be taken since too specific a legacy could mean that the Cathedral might not be able to use the funds.
Another way of supporting the Cathedral might be to make a legacy to Friends of Winchester Cathedral, a separate and independent Charity with members throughout the world. The Friends, founded in 1931, stimulate interest in the Cathedral and support measures to preserve and beautify it by means of financial grants to the Chapter. All bequests are used fully for the benefit of the Cathedral.
If you would like to talk to somebody about making a legacy in favour of the Cathedral, in general or specific terms, or the Friends of Winchester Cathedral, please contact one of the following:
The Receiver-General
Cathedral Office
1, The Close
Winchester
Hampshire SO23 9LS
Telephone: 01962 857200
Facsimile: 01962 857201
E-mail: adrian.munns@winchester-cathedral.org.uk
The Development Officer
Cathedral Office
1, The Close
Winchester
Hampshire SO23 9LS
Telephone: 01962 857217
Facsimile: 01962 857201
E-mail: cathedral.office@winchester-cathedral.org.uk
The General Secretary
Friends of Winchester Cathedral
2, The Close
Winchester
Hampshire SO23 9LS
Telephone: 01962 857244
E-mail: friends@winchester-cathedral.org.uk
(Registered Charity No. 220218)