Annual Review 2023

2023

In 2023 the Cathedral welcomed over 577,000 visitors

St Albans Cathedral stands over the place where Alban, Britain’s first saint, was buried after giving his life for his faith over 1,700 years ago.

The Cathedral is a major site of pilgrimage and worship to this day, welcoming people of all ages and from many different backgrounds. It is the oldest site of continuous Christian worship in Britain, home to the shrines of St Alban and St Amphibalus, with a rich and unique heritage stretching across an unrivalled period of national history, very much alive and growing.

In 2023 the Cathedral welcomed over 577,000 visitors. The revealing of our story to visitors and pilgrims is at the heart of our vision, to be a beacon of discovery and inclusive welcome, prayer and reflection, open to all.

Warm greetings and welcome to this Annual Review of 2023 at St Albans Cathedral, the home of Britain’s first saint and martyr.

Jo Kelly-Moore Dean of St Albans

A WARM WELCOME FROM

THE DEAN

As we look back over the last year, we have so much to give thanks for in the life of this holy place, committed to the welcome and hospitality which Alban showed to the asylum seeker fleeing persecution, the priest Amphibalus, and the sharing and living out of faith which followed that encounter.

We look back over a year of growth and new opportunities, and the pages ahead tell the story of the Gospel in action as our congregations, volunteers, staff and clergy have been working and serving faithfully to demonstrate the good news of Jesus Christ. Thank you so much for the part that you play in the life of your Cathedral and bringing its mission to life.

This Annual Review is also a special one, as it looks back - not only over the last year of 2023 but also sums up the last five years - as the

priorities set for our Cathedral community by Chapter for 2019-2024 conclude.

In 2018, looking to the next five years, three key priorities were set. The first priority was to be known internationally, nationally and locally as a beacon of inclusivity, spirituality and learning; the second was to be a place where everyone feels that they can belong; and the third to be a community growing in faith, numbers and gospel action. Under these top line priorities Chapter identified some key areas of active work

- congregational growth, learning, social justice and the environment, visitor growth and welcome, caring for our buildings and land, and governance and people.

Together we give thanks to God for the great outcomes achieved under all these commitments. Highlights include numbers at all our services continuing to grow and major festival numbers being comparable to, or larger than, 2019; A Rocha UK Silver Award achieved in 2023 and the work of our Environmental Strategy Group to take us forward to net zero carbon; our ministry with and for refugees and asylum seekers; 577,000 visits to our Cathedral in 2023; a new seven year plan in place for maintenance of our buildings; the growth in diversity and attendance in all our learning programmes; the flourishing of our ministry with and for children and young people; and a wide array of new people coming to the Cathedral. Five years ago, at the heart of vision setting was looking to the construction of a new Welcome Centre, the environmental commitment to ‘Sumpter Yard Revived’, and the work that would be necessary under the Cathedrals Measure 2021. As the Welcome Centre is now a key part of our welcome and hospitality and is the way that over 75% of people enter the Cathedral; as Sumpter Yard has been nominated for yet another award; and as last year the Church Commissioners and Charity Commission affirmed our new Constitution and Statutes, we can see that vision fulfilled.

Last year was also defined by us turning ourselves to the future. From Pentecost to Advent 2023 we met with, and listened to, hundreds of people from within our community and across our diocese, including through an online survey, asking ourselves: what should our priorities be going forward? With all that feedback, and through much prayer together, Chapter, our Senior Management Team and Mission and Ministry Committee have all affirmed this direction.

FOLLOWING CHRIST IN ALBAN’S FOOTSTEPS

WE ARE COMMITTED TO WELCOME AND COMPASSION WORSHIP AND WITNESS

COURAGE AND JUSTICE

LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE

You can read more about our shared vision for 2024-2029 in the pages ahead.

Prayer and people are at the heart of who we are and what we do. The heartbeat of our Cathedral and Abbey Church is the daily rhythm of prayer, of which these ancient stones speak from across the centuries. May it ever be thus. So too, by God’s grace, hundreds of people bring the answers to those prayers alive here in faithful service. It is a joy to meet people who are encountering our Cathedral, and the story of Alban and Amphibalus, for the first time. At the heart of our new vision is the commitment to tell their story more and more, and to let that story continue to inspire our mission and ministry.

As we look to the future, what remains a challenge for us all is the cost of maintaining this holy place and supporting the ministry which we are committed to doing together. You will also read honest reporting on those challenges in this review. Chapter and its committees, together with our Senior Management Team, remains committed to increasing our income and being good stewards of what we have. Thank you again for the many ways, with time, talents and money, you support St Albans Cathedral and Abbey Church.

In closing, I would like to pay particular tribute to our departing COO, Tim Fleming. After eleven years of service, first as Head of Finance, and then for the last three years as COO, Tim has offered faithful and gifted leadership to our Cathedral. Three key highlights of Tim’s ministry are his work to develop a reserves policy and to build those reserves, and also to lead into diversification of our income. As COO he has also led us through the requirements of the Cathedrals Measure and we are now a registered charity. This has been significant work. Most of all, Tim has prayed for our Cathedral and been a faithful servant of it. On behalf of all of us, I offer our sincere thanks to Tim and prayerful good wishes to him, Caroline and their family for all that lies ahead.

In this Annual Review we look back over 2023, and indeed the last five years, giving thanks for God’s goodness to us and to this place. Following Christ in Alban’s footsteps, we look forward with hope to all that God is calling us to be and do.

700 REGULAR WORSHIPPERS AT THE CATHEDRAL

577k CATHEDRAL VISITORS AND PILGRIMS IN 2023

11k SCHOOL CHILDREN

ENGAGING IN LEARNING at the Cathedral

240 SCHOOL VISITS

21 WEDDINGS

41 BAPTISMS

500 VOLUNTEERS

100 EVENTS OVER

75k PEOPLE ATTRACTING

A PLACE

OF WORSHIP

Prayer and praise

2023 was a year of continued growth, both in number and in special services, as we gathered to mark before God events of national and local significance. With the Coronation celebration in May, another successful Alban Pilgrimage and more than 7,500 people joining us for Carols on the Hour, 2023 saw many more join us for worship.

We have been delighted to welcome so many people to worship at St Albans Cathedral. We have seen continued growth in our congregations, with the launch of a well-received children’s area at the 9.30am service, making the service more hospitable to children and families as well as those with additional needs.

Parents are now able to worship much more effectively with their children, as the space allows the children to remain in the Nave throughout the service.

We are privileged to continue to enjoy the gift of a high standard of music throughout all of our services across our choirs and musicians, which enhances our worship and is often commented on positively.

We were glad to welcome back to St Albans as our Holy Week preacher the Rt Revd Paul Bayes, former Bishop of Liverpool and previously Bishop of Hertford. He led us through Holy Week with reflections on Wood, Table and Door. Our Easter celebrations included saying farewell to our Precentor Jonny Lloyd as he moved down the road to become Vicar of St Michael’s and St Mary’s.

We joined the nation in celebrating the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III. We gathered for a celebration service with local dignitaries and organisations, including a number

7,500 people joining us for Carols on the Hour

of cadets and the Dacorum Schools Choir, as well as being led by our own Cathedral Choir in what was an excellent gathering of the community to mark this significant moment in history. In hosting the annual civic and justice services we connected with our community, reflecting their themes of ‘All Ages Together’ and ‘Reading, writing and rehabilitation’ in the worship.

June was a busy month, with the installation of the new Precentor Vanessa Jefferson, closely followed by the Alban Pilgrimage. We welcomed the Rt Revd Rose Hudson-Wilkin, Bishop of Dover, as our pilgrimage preacher and told the story of Saint Alban through the city centre. With over 100 children involved, it was a great procession and festival eucharist.

We continued in our role as the mother church of St Albans Diocese, hosting the ordination of Deacons at the end of June. In 2024 we will be returning to hosting both the ordination of Deacons and of Priests. We held the admission and licensing of Readers in September, as well as admissions to the Order of St Alban celebrating the work of lay people across our diocese. We held Diocesan confirmations in October and installed Honorary Canons in March and November, as well as welcoming many to celebrate anniversaries of priestly ordination at evensongs throughout the year. We continued to strengthen our links throughout the Diocese and celebrate all that is happening across St Albans Diocese.

Across the summer we welcomed a number of visiting choirs to St Albans to sing for our regular services, whilst the Cathedral choirs took a much-deserved break. We hosted several choirs from America and choirs who are more local to St Albans, enjoying the gift of their music.

In October we held a Pet Blessing service for the first time, which will be repeated in 2024! It was a wonderful celebration of the special place animals have in our lives and the important part they have within God’s creation.

In our Advent Procession and Lessons and Carols services, as well as enjoying some excellent music, we welcomed local community stakeholders to read some of the lessons, which was well received and served to build upon our relationships across the diocese and city. We may have made the national headlines with an unexpected fire alarm, but that served us well for an increased footfall across the Christmas

period with over 7,500 at Carols on the Hour and a good write up in the BBC News. So many came in throughout the service at Midnight Mass we needed more communion stations. It was a busy but joyful celebration of Christmas.

Overall, our worship continues to go from strength to strength as we invite and welcome people to encounter God through worship. We remain committed to making our worship hospitable and welcoming to newcomers and look forward to welcoming many more to St Albans Cathedral to encounter God in this holy place through the special services we have planned for 2024.

Carols on the Hour

Pet Blessing

Easter Sunday

A PLACE OF MUSIC

Musical excellence

over 100 children involved

In 2023 the cycle of music in services and musical events felt fully re-established after the disruption of 2020 and 2021 and recovery in 2022. Both the boys’ and girls’ choirs have gone from strength to strength and our routines have been fully re-established, beginning with the first Music Trust Outreach concert in the Diocese (at St Nicholas, Harpenden, who came to our rescue after the original booked venue fell through) in February. This was followed by a highly successful tour in May to Fano in Italy; both choirs sang at the diocesan celebration of His Majesty The King’s Coronation, also in May; the Girls Choir made a recording (of the music of Elizabeth Poston); and both choirs participated in the performance of Berlioz’s Te Deum in the International Organ Festival concert in July. This was all in addition to our full commitment of seven choral services a week in term time, plus the special extra services at Christmas, Easter and Albantide.

The recording of Bruckner’s motets made by the Cathedral Choir in July 2022 was released in June 2023 and was declared by The Gramophone to be Critic’s Choice for choral music that month. In December it received further accolade as one of the recordings of the year. The girls’ and men’s recording of Poston was released quite quickly and also received very favourable reviews, especially on Radio 3’s Record Review.

Recruitment for both choirs has been very good and the Abbey Singers, Parish Singers, St Albans Young Singers and Parish Orchestra have all returned to normal and are flourishing.

ST ALBANS CATHEDRAL MUSIC TRUST DONATED £100k to support the Cathedrals music department

ST ALBANS CATHEDRAL MUSIC TRUST

The St Albans Cathedral Music Trust continued to support all aspects of the Cathedral’s musical life through the ongoing support of the Music Patrons, as well as the generosity of those who give endowments, donations and legacy bequests. In 2023 the Trust donated £100,000 to the Cathedral to support the Music Department and its work. Also in 2023, the Trust began working with Wootton George Consulting to help the Trust create a clear fundraising plan for the future.

The Trust was delighted to invite their Patrons to a celebratory Evensong in September, which was held in conjunction with the Girls’ Choir, enabling our Patrons and choir parents to mix. We also held a wonderful drinks reception and evening supper in December, following the Advent Procession.

Lessons and Carols

A PLACE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

Children and young people: The Church of today

Growth was reported in the 2022 Annual Review and this trend continues, with much joy. So much so that we have adopted as our mantra: ‘growth across all areas of our work with young people’. We finished implementing the recommendations from our 2021 report on children and young people, and have seen fruit come from this already. We have worked closely with our Safeguarding Officer and regularly review our practices to ensure that we are mirroring best practice. 2023 was a year that consolidated our progress of the preceding year and also made some real steps forward, building for the future.

The greatest development over the last year has undoubtably been the appointment of a part-time Children and Families Worker, Anna Chambers. Anna comes with considerable experience of working both with young people and in church contexts, and has brought energy and vibrancy to an already busy department. She has also been instrumental in transforming the Sunday morning worship experience for young people, including establishing with the Youth Chaplain a new

programme for Children’s Church and a carpeted children’s area in the Nave.

Anna works with the Youth Chaplain to support the work of our fabulous volunteers and she oversees the administration and delivery of a number of regular groups. Her creativity has also led to a revitalisation of the notice boards in the Offa Room and establishing a new-look weekly email.

In addition to the regular diet of activities here for young people, it has been a busy year for one-off events, all of which Anna has been instrumental in bringing to life. Felipe the Sheep, a children’s story book written by Children’s Church leader and congregation member Andrew Baird, was launched in early December. This was a considerable investment but, thanks to retailing online, in the Cathedral shop and at many events, we have recovered our costs. In October, we reclaimed the stories of the saints at Hallowe’en by launching our inaugural Holy Pumpkin Trail, which saw over 100 children take part in a costumed pumpkin walk through town and concluded in worship at the Cathedral, in collaboration with St Michael’s Church.

School links continue to be a crucial part of our ministry to young people. The Abbey Primary School continues to have two weekly assemblies – one in school and one in the Lady Chapel –and one Eucharist a term in church. We have additionally innovated a termly Eucharist in the school hall and look forward to running confirmation classes in school for the first time.

Links with Townsend School are currently particularly strong. We were sorry to bid farewell to Headteacher Andrew Wellbeloved and enjoyed celebrating and thanking him for over thirty years serving the school. We have since been very sad to hear of Andrew’s death and are working to support the school in commemorating his many years of dedicated service.

The new Head, Anthony Flack, has indicated an enthusiasm to enhance our formal links with governors and the Youth Chaplain, who acts as Chaplain to the school. The Youth Chaplain now

attends the school twice a week and runs six assemblies a term, in addition to the four times yearly services in the Cathedral.

Our regular groups continue to flourish and in particular we have seen tremendous growth in our Abbey Tots Service. This had reached low numbers by the end of the pandemic, but over the past 18 months we have seen an extraordinary bounce back, and we regularly welcome 20 toddlers to our weekly service. Abbey Tots on a Tuesday continues to be oversubscribed every week and we have enjoyed the addition of a new craft area. The 20/30s group continues to thrive, with regular opportunities for hospitality and fellowship combined with prayer and worship. Our Youth Group returned last year with good numbers and this continues to be successful; it has been particularly enjoyable for our choristers to join this, alongside other young people. Xcite on a Friday evening maintains regularly over 20 attendees and they have enjoyed various trips away. The numbers of young people at the Alban Pilgrimage were up considerably this year, aided by assemblies led by the Youth Chaplain across a number of schools in and around the area.

As ever, we are indebted to the many volunteers and helpers who give up a considerable amount of time – often at precious times of the day and week – to support our ministry to children and young people. We continue to benefit from the work of our Alban Interns and our thanks go to Izzy, Michael, Ewan, and Hollie, as well as countless others. We pray that God will continue to bless this ministry and that it will flourish in the years to come.

Felipe the Sheep

Abbey Tots

A PLACE OF LEARNING

Exploring and inspiring

As we look back not just on the last twelve months, but with a longer perspective, onwards from the year 2019, our experience of learning at the Cathedral has been nothing less than a roller-coaster ride, from the momentous occasion in 2019 when the Learning Department gained access to our new facilities as part of the ‘Alban, Britain’s First Saint’ project, to the significant challenges that presented during the COVID pandemic.

We were able to adapt quickly, moving adult learning to Zoom and other digital platforms, enabling us to have a national, and even international, reach.

The recovery post-pandemic included a greater use of digital resources, off-site visits to schools and themed workshops over special weeks, although recovery of numbers was further hindered by pressures on school budgets and timetables.

In this way, after the initial high of the new facilities in 2019 and the sudden plummet of lockdown, our experience over 2023 has been of a steady climb back up towards our pre-COVID levels, though with a greater diversity of our programme and our audiences. This has set us up well to continue to build on this, as the Cathedral enters the next phase of its life with its new vision.

On top of this has been the development of community engagement and learning, initially funded through our ‘Alban, Britain’s First Saint’ programme activity plan. This has included artists in residence, engagement with diverse community groups and a much wider programme of events and exhibitions, to draw in more people than previously possible. We are very grateful to St Albans Cathedral Education Trust for continuing to support these activities.

In 2023, we were delighted that our Learning Department was awarded the Sandford Award for Heritage Learning for the seventh consecutive time. The report was outstanding and a credit to all who work so hard to make school visits such an enjoyable, educational and welcoming experience. The assessor’s report said, “The Schools Team at St Albans Cathedral offer a high quality, learner centred, locally focused, National Curriculum linked offer. They are dedicated to ensuring that each student gains as much as possible from their visit, with the aim being to support each student’s classroom learning. The Schools team offer a learning programme that is truly unique in content and also to its surroundings.”

Throughout the year, we continued our partnerships with the Diocesan Schools Team and St Albans Museums, as well as new partners, for example Mad Science and the University of Hertfordshire History Department.

The adult learning programme continues to grow in diversity across theology and aspects of our history and culture, including a number of practical workshops.

The Cathedral hosted panel discussions that included the place of LGBTQI people within the Church, and environmental hope for the planet, whilst modules for the certificate in Christian theology included The Art of Storytelling in the Bible, Christian Prayer, Church History, and The Holy Spirit.

Library

The last year has also seen an increase in footfall to our Library. We now have 222 members, 84 of whom joined in 2023. The largest group of readers relates to the diocesan scheme, which enables clergy and others to join for free. We are also delighted to see a greater number of people studying in the Library, an encouraging message that more people are hearing about our incredible facility.

We have been blessed by our community of asylum seekers and refugees and we were able to host an exhibition co-created with volunteers and our Community Engagement Officer. We also launched Sanctuary Suppers in conjunction with Hertfordshire Community Kitchen, where guests were invited to enjoy a dinner of authentic dishes from around the world and to hear the stories behind them, all cooked by asylum seekers and refugees, living locally, using recipes from their home countries.

“The experience was great. A range of workshops that covered many areas and a great introduction to science.”

Abbot’s Hill School

ST ALBANS CATHEDRAL EDUCATION TRUST

The Cathedral’s learning programme is generously supported by the St Albans Cathedral Education Trust, which helps subsidise activities, develop new programmes and reach new audiences. In 2023 the Trust granted £55,000 of funding to the Cathedral. The Trust’s support is greatly appreciated.

Individuals and schools who would like to contribute to this work can become Learning Patrons. In 2023, the Trust established a new Opportunities Fund, which supports those who otherwise would not be able to visit and enjoy special events during the year. In 2023, this Fund raised over £7,800, which means the Trust can cover the costs for over 500 students.

The Trust is grateful to their Patrons for their continued support over the past year.

Alban Pilgrimage

Graffiti Workshop

A PLACE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AND THE ENVIRONMENT

Striving for justice

Inspired by Alban’s example of care to others, and in striving for justice, as a Cathedral we are committed to living out our Christian faith in actions as well as words. Two key areas where this has played out is in our commitment to the environment and our work on social justice issues.

ENVIRONMENT

Since the Church of England set an ambitious target to reach Net Zero Carbon by 2030, two teams at the Cathedral have been leading the way on our environmental work. Following the QODA decarbonisation survey of the Cathedral and Chapter House in January 2022, the Environmental Strategy Group has drawn up a Cathedral Environmental Policy and developed an outline roadmap, which was approved by Chapter in May 2023. This sets out a three-stage plan to reduce our energy consumption and track our carbon data, to work up a scheme to introduce solar PV cells to the Cathedral to meet or exceed all our electricity needs, and to develop a longerterm plan for alternative heating sources for the Cathedral and our associated buildings.

Alongside this, our Eco Team has been working hard on more practical environmental projects springing from the BALI award-winning ‘Sumpter Yard Revived’ project of 2022. This work has included biodiversity surveys, enhanced recycling facilities and performance, the building of an eco-garden with pond and diverse planting scheme, and promoting sustainable travel to and from the Cathedral. Following our Bronze Award, we received the A Rocha UK Silver Award in August 2023 and are now working towards our submission for the Gold Award by the end of 2024.

SOCIAL JUSTICE

Our Social Justice Group has focused our commitment to some key specific areas, including homelessness and affordable housing, our work with foodbanks and Fairtrade networks, and offering support for a group of over 20 asylum seekers and refugees.

In June 2023 we organised and hosted the first ever St Albans Community Showcase, bringing together 61 participating groups including charities, community groups, activist groups and youth organisations, representing various aspects of social justice and community support and environmental protection. Groups operating locally, nationally and internationally were represented, all with strong local support, and the event was attended by over 500 visitors. There were also networking and recruitment opportunities and the event included four panel discussions. A second showcase will be hosted in October 2024 to build upon our growing partnerships and advocacy in these areas.

A panel discussion on homelessness in November 2023 has led to the formation of a working group, to explore longer term solutions in partnership with local government to the current housing shortage.

Preserving the future A PLACE OF HERITAGE

Following the significant building work over the past five years, which has included the opening of our incredible Welcome Centre and the landscaping of Sumpter Yard, 2023 was a year in which we sought to ensure both the maintenance and health of all our properties were in good order, as well as starting to lay down plans for the future.

A major property review took place throughout the year, looking at the whole Cathedral portfolio of properties. This will help us to focus on getting the best from our buildings in the most sustainable way over the next few years. Our thanks go to Purcell Oculus for their work on this project.

All the lighting in the Cathedral Bell Tower and Cockloft has been upgraded and LED lighting upgrades were also carried out in the North and South Transepts. Test work to lighting and electrics in the whole Cathedral is continuing.

A major clearance was undertaken in the Cathedral Cockloft roof space: the electric hoist was replaced and large amounts of obsolete building fittings and materials - including combustible materials - were removed. This process also uncovered one or two hidden gems for further research.

A corner rooflight in the Welcome Centre was replaced after it shattered due to the presence of a rare nickel sulphide inclusion. General maintenance work to the Chapter House and Cathedral continued - this included clearing and repairing of all rainwater goods.

Major refurbishment works to the shop at 32-34 Holywell Hill (at the entrance to Sumpter Yard) have been completed. Refurbishment works to Flat 34a Holywell Hill (above the shop) have also been completed and new tenants have moved in.

Two major projects are in development that affect the fabric of the building. One is to improve access to all areas of the Cathedral floor for people with mobility issues by the provision of ramps and handrails; the other is to tidy up the visual cabling that has accumulated over the years whilst upgrading the sound system.

THE FRIENDS OF ST ALBANS CATHEDRAL

There are more than 1,000 Friends, who help with financial and practical support and enjoy social and educational opportunities linked to the life and work of the Cathedral. They also produce attractive publications on subjects related to the Cathedral’s heritage and life.

In 2023, The Friends gave the Cathedral over £30,000. The largest grant that the Friends gifted to the Cathedral in 2023 related to our internal and external signage and wayfinding, with new internal signs put in place during the year.

The Friends also provided grant support to the work of Professor Martin Biddle’s Chapter House Archaeology Book. The book will be compromised of 52 chapters and over several hundred illustrations in total.

The Friends continued their financial support of the annual Alban Pilgrimage and also paid for the flags which fly on the Cathedral Tower every day.

Christ on Wallingford Screen

Rose Window

We rejoice that

A PLACE TO VISIT

St Albans Cathedral

2023 was an incredible year here at the Cathedral. We welcomed 577,000 visitors through our doors, plus the huge number of people who join us regularly for worship.

The year began with the bringing to life of our 15th century High Altar Screen with the launch of ‘Saints in Colour’. Using cutting edge technology and historic research into how medieval screens could have looked, we brought colour to the 19th century statues in a racially diverse way. Thousands of people have been wowed by the technology so far, along with the illumination of our medieval wall paintings. Both are a real highlight of any visit.

In March we launched our first ever peregrine live cam, as the breeding pair - known locally as Alban and Boudica - returned for their second year on top of the Cathedral. Over 350,000 people tuned in to watch all three eggs successfully hatch before fledging the nest.

577k visitors and pilgrims came to St Albans Cathedral

The story of Brother Rocliffe and his Alban Bun, made from a secret recipe, engaged visitors during Lent, Holy Week and Easter. The precursor to the hot cross bun was given out to the poor on Good Friday from 1361 onwards, but now anyone can try one in our café!

Throughout the Cathedral, people have left their mark on our walls through the ages, scratching names and creatures into the fabric of the building, but this year instead of using the Cathedral walls, people created graffiti art on canvas with Ant Steele, a local graffiti artist. The highlight piece of art from this residency was a beautiful picture of Boudica, our resident female peregrine falcon. Thanks to all those who contributed to the creations throughout the year.

‘Threads Through Creation’, an exhibition by Jacqui Parkinson, spectacularly took over the Cathedral in May, as 12 huge textile panels retold the creation story from the book of Genesis.

Visitors young and old were wowed by the variety of colours and creatures created by the artist in this breath-taking exhibition.

The Cathedral was ‘rocked’ by the launch of a new series of candlelight concerts, which saw West End tribute acts of Queen, George Michael, Fleetwood Mac and Meatloaf wow thousands of people in the Nave. 30% of those who came to these events had never visited the Cathedral before, so it was lovely to welcome new people into such a special place.

We celebrated Alban, Britain’s first saint and martyr, in June with the annual Alban Pilgrimage through the streets of the city. 12ft puppets retold Alban’s incredible story of courage and faith over 1,700 years ago. Pilgrims laid red roses on Albans shrine and gave thanks for his witness.

The Cathedral hosted musicians from around the world at the 32nd International Organ Festival in July. Visitors were treated to a range of concerts, with highlights including The Tallis Scholars celebrating their 50th anniversary and an heroic finale of Berlioz and Saint-Saens, performed by St Albans Bach Choir and Britten Sinfonia.

In August, the Nave hosted our very first silent disco. Three DJs played 90s music through the headphones of over 1,000 people. It was an incredible evening enjoyed by all who attended. The Renaissance swept through the Cathedral during October half term, as the Luxmurails light show transported guests out of the Dark Ages into a time that changed culture forever.

November went off with a bang with our annual fireworks display in Verulamium Park. Thousands of people were mesmerised by rockets fizzing into the night sky. The event raised £12,000 for two local charities: Youth Talk and Open Door St Albans.

Christmas saw record numbers of people coming to the Cathedral, Carols on the Hour being the highlight. Visitors were wowed by our newly designed Christmas trees, thanks to Aylett Nurseries. We even made the national news due to a very efficient fire alarm system and over 1,500 candles being lit at one of our services! Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas though without our clergy’s Christmas Eve video, with a rendition of The Little Drummer Boy, which was watched by over 10,000 people!

2023 really was a truly special year for us here at the Cathedral as, for the second year running, over half a million people visited us. And it is no wonder, given how special this place is.

As ever, none of this would be possible without our army of volunteers giving up their precious time every day in support of the Cathedral. Thank you to every single volunteer, you are truly amazing.

We look forward to welcoming visitors, both old and new, back to the Cathedral in 2024 and beyond.

Peregrine Chicks

Candlelight Concert

CATHEDRAL GOVERNANCE

Leadership and service

The Cathedrals Measure 2021 has required all English cathedrals to adopt new governing documents and become registered charities with the Charity Commission. The overriding aim of this new legislation is to strengthen governance, management and accountability across all cathedrals.

St Albans Cathedral’s new governing documents came into force on 1 December 2023, making Chapter the single governing body of the Cathedral and establishing new governance committees. On 1 March 2024 the Cathedral became registered with the Charity Commission, effectively completing a significant phase of work and wider engagement that began five years ago in 2019.

Good governance in cathedrals, as with all charities, is fundamental to their success. Done well, it goes beyond simply enabling and supporting compliance with relevant legislation and regulation, but promotes attitudes and a culture where everything that is done is focused towards fulfilling the Cathedral’s purpose, mission and vision. Our new governance and management structures provide a great foundation to continue the good stewardship of resources for which St Albans Cathedral is known.

CHARITY TRUSTEES

Dean

The Very Revd Jo Kelly-Moore

Canon Chancellor

The Revd Canon Dr Kevin Walton

Canon for Mission and Pastoral Care

The Revd Canon Will Gibbs

CHAPTER

Chapter directs and oversees the administration of the Cathedral’s affairs, providing leadership on policy, strategy and vision. Chapter is at the heart of the corporate, spiritual and worshipping life of the Cathedral, setting its decisions and work in the context of prayer for the Cathedral and the Diocese of St Albans and its ministry and mission. Chaired by the Dean, Chapter has primary responsibility for ensuring the Cathedral is carrying out its purposes for the public benefit and ensuring it is effectively and properly run. The members of Chapter and its committees work together in community to foster and witness a common life which reflects the Cathedral’s purpose and values, inspired by the witness of Alban. The members of Chapter are the charity’s trustees.

Residentiary Canon and Diocesan Director of Vocations

The Revd Canon Dr Tim Bull

Residentiary Canon and Diocesan Director of Mission and Ministry

The Revd Canon Tim Lomax

Senior Non-Executive Member

Helen Gray

Lay Non-Executive Member and Finance Committee Chair

Graham Field

Lay Non-Executive Member and Cathedral Warden Member

Canon Julian Bowrey

Lay Non-Executive Member

Sarah Keeling

Lay Non-Executive Member

Judith Relf

Lay Non-Executive Member

Delbert Sandiford

CHAPTER COMMITTEES

Chapter is supported by various committees to enable it to discharge its responsibilities and facilitate decision-making effectively and efficiently. These are the Finance Committee, the Audit and Risk Committee, the Nominations Committee and the Mission and Ministry Committee.

The newly formed Mission and Ministry Committee oversees and coordinates the Cathedral’s mission and pastoral activities in the parish and among its congregations, also the Cathedral’s wider support for the ministry of the Bishop of St Albans, and the mission and pastoral priorities of the diocese. Several members of this committee, including our Cathedral Wardens, are elected by our congregations and those who live in the parish. Our minor canons are also members.

SENIOR MANAGEMENT TEAM

The Cathedral’s Senior Management Team is accountable to Chapter and is responsible for the day to day good management of the Cathedral, operating under the oversight and in partnership with Chapter to further the Cathedral’s purpose.

Working alongside the new Mission and Ministry Committee, the Senior Management Team is responsible for implementing the Cathedral’s strategic and operational aims, vision and priorities. A series of working groups and management committees supports these two bodies.

Chapter is supported in its role by other bodies that sustain the life of the Cathedral and provide expert advice and counsel. These include the Fabric Advisory Committee, which provides advice on matters relating to the care, conservation and development of the Cathedral building, and the College of Canons, which provides a connection to the life and work of the Diocese. A new body - to be formed over the course of the next yearwill be the Cathedral Advisory Group, which will act as a consultative and advisory body to the Cathedral at large, drawing its membership from the many stakeholders with whom the Cathedral partners.

Organ Pipes

Abbey By Night

The Alban Cope

Exciting times ahead OUR VISION FOR 2024 AND BEYOND

FOLLOWING CHRIST IN ALBAN’S FOOTSTEPS

With 2024 the final year of our previous strategy, we spent much of 2023 speaking and engaging with individuals and groups, both from within our Cathedral community but also throughout our Diocese, to help shape our way forward. We give thanks to all who supported the process and we are excited about the journey we have ahead. The four couplets of words below bring out how we, as a Cathedral, will be working in the coming years.

WELCOME AND COMPASSION

As Alban welcomed the stranger Amphibalus, we too will be a place of God’s welcome in our community, where anyone can come as visitor or pilgrim, to worship and to learn about and deepen their relationship with God. We will be a place of peace, comfort, safety and refuge for people of all faiths and none.

We will do this by:

• providing opportunities for connection, friendship and welcome for all ages

• recognising and growing diversity in our community, including our leadership, congregation, staff and volunteers

• encouraging pilgrimage and welcoming all who come here

• being trusted custodians of our historic building.

WORSHIP AND WITNESS

Like Alban, we will put Christ at the centre of all that we do, and worship and adore the true and living God. Like Amphibalus, with confidence we will live and share the gospel of Jesus Christ.

We will do this by:

• daily worship in shared prayer and the Eucharist

• services of celebration, requiem, remembrance and healing

• being a national and international exemplar of worship, particularly through our music

• deepening and exploring our faith, growing a flourishing Christian community through worship and learning for all ages

• nurturing and growing new Christians

• helping children and young people to participate fully in worship and witness

• embracing ecumenical and interfaith partnerships.

COURAGE AND JUSTICE

Alban heard Christ’s words and bravely acted on them in the face of adversity. We will do the same, being a beacon of Christ’s message of justice for all creation. We will ally ourselves with those who are persecuted and those who face injustice throughout the world. We will be bold in our faith, standing up for justice and modelling the actions we hope others will also take.

We will do this by:

• being a centre for discussion, debate, and education, leading to common action

• speaking up and working against injustice

• committing ourselves to environmental justice and to achieving net zero carbon

• taking practical action to support those in need, including through partnering with others.

LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE

As the Cathedral and mother church for the Diocese of St Albans, with Alban’s boldness we will strive to be leaders and a resource, sharing our work, supporting and serving others, and providing inspiration as we live God’s love.

We will do this by:

• being a hub of Christian learning and teaching

• being a centre of excellence for music, art and culture in worship

• being a place for public debate, using our convening power to bring the community together

• being a place of spiritual leadership for the whole community, working with people from all faiths and none

• leading by example on issues of importance such as net zero carbon and environmental justice

• supporting the ministry of our Bishop and serving the parishes, schools and chaplaincies in the Diocese, including spiritual support and education.

Alban, Britain’s First Saint

FINANCES

Responsible stewardship

The Cathedral suffered a deficit of £58,000 on its core activities in 2023 compared to an essentially break-even position last year. The Cathedral had budgeted for a deficit of £28,000.

This year’s deficit was not unexpected, given current economic conditions and rising costs, but was more than budgeted. We face continuing financial challenges ahead, with significant increases in energy prices, rising wage inflation, a continuing maintenance and upkeep backlog, and the cost of living crisis affecting people’s disposable income.

Over the last three years, we have gone from a surplus of £159,000 in 2021, to deficits of £3,000 in 2022 and £58,000 this year. 2021 was exceptional, with continued COVID-19 Government funding and reduced costs due to staff vacancies. But this year’s increased deficit highlights why maintaining and growing all our sources of income remains ever important, together with exploring and securing new sources, some of which we have implemented successfully in 2023.

Major income-generating events in 2023 included graduation ceremonies for the University of Hertfordshire, the Renaissance sound and light shows, and the ever-popular annual Fireworks Spectacular. This year also saw the introduction of significant new commercial event hire and increased filming, resulting in an increase of £78,000 to net income from venue hire over last year.

Major work was completed on the repair and refurbishment of 32-34 Holywell Hill, a strategically important property at the entrance to Sumpter Yard, funded from the sale of another of our investment properties and also from our Property, Fabric and Development reserve fund. Unfortunately, as with many listed buildings, the refurbishment took significantly longer, was structurally more complex and incurred more costs than had originally been expected.

A significant drawdown has been necessary from our Contingencies Fund to cover the operating deficit and the increased cost of utilities. This, combined with the use of the Property, Fabric and Development Fund, means our reserves end the year over £750,000 lower than at the end of 2022.

With our exciting new Vision 2024-2029, there is much more we want to achieve in the delivery of our purpose and priorities, knowing we need to make significant investment in some areas, especially across our property portfolio and with the goal of Net Zero Carbon 2030 fast approaching. The Cathedral’s focus on never over-relying on one income source remains paramount, especially as the next few years are very difficult to forecast and our reserves are depleted, but we continue with confidence and in the security of careful financial stewardship.

Outreach and Charitable Giving

£87,000 - 3%

Visitors and Welcome

£245,000 - 7%

Ministry, Music and Mission

£995,000 - 30%

Fundraising

£100,000 - 3%

Major Repairs and Restoration

£974,000 - 30%

Upkeep

£649,000 - 20%

Education and Learning

£248,000 - 7%

NET INCOME TRENDS 2019 TO 2023

Living generously SUPPORTING THE CATHEDRAL

We are grateful to all those who have contributed to the life and mission of the Cathedral in 2023 in so many ways. St Albans Cathedral is an independent charitable organisation and receives no regular direct funding from the Government.

The future of the Cathedral depends upon continued financial support. This is particularly important given the challenges we continue to face following the pandemic and the higher costs of living. We could not exist without the generosity of our funders, donors and supporters.

If you can, please consider:

SETTING UP A REGULAR DONATION

Regular ongoing support helps us to plan and sustain our care of this great Cathedral for the future.

MAKING A ONE-OFF DONATION

In a building of this size there are always projects in need of support; from medieval stonework to music projects or educational programmes, your gift will always make a difference.

LEAVING A GIFT IN YOUR WILL

A legacy gift is one of the most effective ways you can support the Cathedral. Legacy gifts can be directed to support a chosen area of our work, or can be given free of restriction to enable them to be used where they are needed most.

SUPPORTING OUR LEARNING OR MUSIC

Subscribe annually to donate directly to one of these important elements of the Cathedral’s life and enjoy regular newsletters and invitations to special events.

ADOPTING THE CATHEDRAL

Adopt a brick, an organ pipe or an item from the archives as a personal donation, a gift for a friend or family member, or in memory of a loved one and receive a personalised gift pack and certificate while supporting the Cathedral’s future.

JOINING THE 100 CLUB

Sign up to the 100 Club to support the Cathedral and to have a chance of winning in the monthly prize draw.

BECOMING A VOLUNTEER

Join our team of committed and loyal volunteers, which plays a vital part in the day-to-day running of this busy and thriving place.

JOINING THE FRIENDS OF ST ALBANS CATHEDRAL

Sign up to support the conservation of this beautiful and historic building.

FIND OUT MORE

To find out more about how you can support the Cathedral, please visit our website: www.stalbanscathedral.org or contact the Development Office: 01727 890229 development@stalbanscathedral.org

Cathedral Tower

THANK YOU

St Albans Cathedral could not exist without the generosity of our supporters. A number of trusts, foundations, companies and individuals support the Cathedral’s work and mission. Every gift or grant is important to us and helps us to continue our daily mission.

We would like to extend a warm thank you to the following organisations and groups:

Aylett Nurseries

The Church Commissioners for England

The Friends of St Albans Cathedral

St Albans BID

St Albans Cathedral Music Trust

University of Hertfordshire

The Benefact Trust

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Borras Construction

The Diocese of St Albans

The National Heritage Fund The Laing Family Trusts

St Albans Cathedral Alban Foundation

Tru Vue Conservation and Exhibition Grant Scheme

The Williams Church Music Trust

St Albans Cathedral Education Trust

St Albans City and District Council

Verulam House Fund Trust

We also would like to thank all those who have made private donations and anonymous gifts, along with those who have chosen to remember the Cathedral in their wills. Many others contribute through volunteering, freely giving their time, energy, passion, skills and experience. The generous support given by so many people, in both donations and volunteering, makes St Albans Cathedral the place it is today.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Making it all possible

Thanks go to our contributors including: PHOTOGRAPHERS

Toby Shepheard Photography

Still Cast Photography

Phil Gelbs

Luxmurails

DESIGN

OnBrand Marketing

12 - 14 Victoria Street, St Albans, AL1 3JB 0333 322 0022 I www.onbrand.co.uk

CATHEDRAL

For further information please contact the Cathedral Office: 01727 890200 mail@stalbanscathedral.org

Sumpter Yard, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL1 1BY Registered Charity Number: 1207312

Keep up to date with the Cathedral’s latest news and images at www.stalbanscathedral.org or via social media at: facebook.com/StAlbansCathedralOfficial instagram.com/stalbanscathedral @StAlbansCath tiktok.com/@stalbanscathedral

“Beautiful architecture, interactive activities, panels explaining the history, loads of volunteers to help and tours available for free, donations welcome. At the end of visit you can have a lovely meal in the church cafe looking at the park nearby. A great experience.”

Tatiana Rosoga

“St Albans Cathedral is a historic masterpiece with breath-taking architecture and a serene ambiance. It’s a must-visit for anyone seeking spiritual solace or marvelling at its centuries-old beauty.”

Bhoomika Brahmbhatt