The Cathedral is offering a unique fundraising project for the several millions of pounds required to complete this vital conservation. Supporters are invited to be a cornerstone of the campaign, and to leave their mark on this majestic building.
Supporters will receive special recognition by sponsoring a stone at varying levels matching the donation received.
A gift of £500 supports cleaning and repair of a single stone in return for an invitation to a special tour and talk.
Donors giving £1,000 will be thanked with an invitation to a special tour and talk plus the donor’s chosen initials carved on the back of a replacement stone and a digital photograph of the completed carving. The stone could commemorate a lost loved one, or mark a special anniversary or occasion.
Winchester Cathedral Director of Development Alasdair Akass said: “We need to act now to arrest the deterioration of our stone. This is a unique opportunity to contribute to the ongoing conservation of this most precious of buildings – and to see your initials carved in stone. We invite everyone to find out more and to support us at whatever level they can afford. The Cathedral has enjoyed a long history of public support and generosity and, without it, given that we receive no regular routine or operational funding from either government or the Church of England, we would struggle to meet our obligations to sustain and conserve this remarkable building for future generations.”
The family of the late Revd Canon Gary Philbrick is already supporting the project, and is pictured visiting the scaffold in spring this year.
Revd Chris Palmer, Dean of Winchester, has also climbed the scaffold to see the work, and even took a chisel to some of the stonework himself (pictured).
