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Annual Review 2021

St Albans Cathedral stands over the place where Alban, Britain’s first Christian saint, was buried after giving his life for his faith over 1700 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 and home to the shrines of St Alban and St Amphibalus, several world-class medieval wall paintings and an amazing mix of architectural styles that bear witness to many centuries of its life. In 2021 the Cathedral welcomed over 330,000 visitors. Revealing our heritage and history 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.

Contents From the Dean

pg 4

A place of worship

pg 8

A place of music

pg 12

A place for young people

pg 14

A place of learning

pg 16

A place of heritage

pg 20

A place to visit

pg 26

Finances

pg 29

Supporting the Cathedral

pg 32

Cathedral governance

pg 36

Acknowledgements

pg 39

Thank you

pg 40

From the Dean Warm greetings. I begin by offering a very big thank you to you all for the warmest of St Albans’ welcomes to me and my family since we arrived in St Albans last November. It is a privilege to be the 10th Dean of St Albans, and what better time to have started ministry among you than in the joy and anticipation of Advent. That joy was made all the more sweet in our ability to gather together in worship with more freedom than we have had for nearly the past two years.

In the life of our nation, our world and certainly our Cathedral, 2021 was a year marked by significant change. With the continued impact of a global pandemic, our clergy, staff and volunteers once again navigated the ever-changing landscape of Covid-19 and its impact on individuals and on our shared life. What is apparent here at the Abbey is the great sense of teamwork, and 2021 demonstrated that once again. Thank you to everyone for all that you did to ensure that the mission and ministry of our Cathedral not only kept going but continued to flourish. The commitment to keeping the Abbey open as much as we could, as well as all that went ahead online — from Zoom meetings and socials to online worship, including children’s church, virtual school gatherings and courses from our learning department — offered care and blessing to so many, both locally and

across the world, in this most challenging of times. In the following pages you will read of some of the many facets of the life of our Cathedral in 2021 and the huge dedication of so many who made it all happen. 2021 was also a year marked by significant staff comings and goings. I pay tribute to the wonderful leadership of my predecessor, Dean Emeritus Jeffrey John, who served this Cathedral and diocese from 2004 to 2021. Among others departing we also celebrated with Canon Abi Thompson as she became Dean of Sheffield, the Revd Kim QuakWinslow as she moved into parish ministry and Stephanie Pisharody, longtime Head of Development, who took on a new role in the charitable sector. Special thanks also to the Canon Chancellor, the Precentor and Cathedral Wardens who, as a result of

staff departures, carried significant extra responsibilities throughout the year. In the context of all this change, what became apparent to me in the process of being called to be your Dean was the commitment expressed for the Cathedral to take next steps in mission — in our making known in word and deed the love of God in Christ Jesus. That commitment was to celebrate how things are and also to be open to where God may lead us. Our Cathedral’s shared purpose describes who we are and what we stand for: ‘St Albans Cathedral exists to glorify God and, inspired by the witness of Alban, proclaim Christ’s message of love.’ To put flesh on the bones of that vision, the Cathedral Chapter discerned three goals for 2019—2024. The Cathedral would be:

•

• •

known internationally, nationally and locally as a beacon of inclusive welcome, spirituality and learning a place where everyone feels that they can belong a community growing in faith, numbers and gospel action

Today that vision and those goals are expressed in so many different ways in our cathedral community. As we look ahead together, some of our priorities are already clear: our commitment to caring for and growing our congregation; the priority of our ministry with and for children and young people and encouraging their leadership among us; the ongoing development of our learning across the generations; our

active commitment to social, racial and environmental justice; our commitment to welcome and to encourage visitors to come here; and caring for our land and buildings well and being good stewards of all God has blessed us with. The beginning of the year was marked by celebrating the restoration of the Amphibalus shrine, calling pilgrims to prayer in new ways. We look forward to the finishing touches to the shrine area very soon and to a celebration later in the year. We are also anticipating all that Sumpter Yard Revived will offer our community. The beginning of this new year has also been marked by the evils of war in our world. We are working together already as a cathedral community, and in our diocese, to offer as much support as we can, both to those in Ukraine and to those arriving among us. Together let us give thanks for God’s faithfulness in the challenges and joys of 2021, and as we anticipate the great Feast of Pentecost, inspired afresh by Alban and Amphibalus, let us hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church, committing ourselves again to our Cathedral’s vision and priorities to be part of God’s Kingdom coming on earth. Thank you again for your warm welcome, and I very much look forward to all that our partnership in ministry has in store. Blessings,

“A large cathedral full of interesting artefacts and history.” — Martin, visitor

A place of worship 2021 was a year in which, perhaps more than other years, we were reminded of the ways that the cycle of the liturgical year helps us to reflect on the cycles of our own lives, both as individuals and as a worshipping community. Advent and Christmas, for example, call us to pay attention to endings and beginnings. They also teach us about the experience of living between the two in times of preparation. Our cathedral community has certainly had its share this year of endings and beginnings, and of looking forward in hope and expectancy to the new. final

was filled with life and joy as we gave

Evensong contained much joy and thanks

thanks for the gifts of the Holy Spirit and

for all his ministry in this place. It also

prayed for that same Spirit to come down

contained much sadness that it was

and fill the candidates as they received the

conducted behind closed doors under

Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and

strict Covid-19 protocols as he and Grant

the Eucharist.

Dean

Emeritus

Jeffrey

John’s

moved on to Paris. Life for so many of us in those early months of 2021 was deflating

A highlight of this summer was to return to

— when was the pandemic going to be

an in-person celebration of Albantide, with

over? When could we stop living in fear?

a procession and Festal Evensong at which

Jeffrey’s final service, as all good liturgy

the Dean of Westminster preached. We

should, spoke powerfully and authentically

followed the old route through Verulamium

to our experience of those days.

Park and up the Abbey Orchard as the route through the town centre was not

Lent, Holy Week and Easter were movingly

practicable. Some commented that it felt

and carefully celebrated. We are grateful to

right in this pandemic year to be walking

Archdeacon Emeritus Jonathan Smith for

more closely in the steps of Alban, our

his addresses in Holy Week. The fact that

first martyr. It certainly felt right to witness

we could be supported in our worship at

again publicly to his story and to the faith

this point by our choirs was transformative.

he proclaimed.

Alleluia is a wonderful word when spoken; it is even more powerful when sung.

Later in the summer and autumn we said more farewells: first to our Youth Chaplain,

The season of Easter ended with a ‘first’

Kim, with Corniel, Avah, and Amarah, then

for us as we combined the 9.30am Parish

later to our Sub Dean, Abi, with Carl. As we

Eucharist with Baptisms and Confirmations

worshipped together for the last time, we

on the Feast of Pentecost. This celebration

were able to give thanks for them and to

acknowledge with gratitude the ways that

system for streaming, which now forms an

we have grown together in past years. We

integral part of our worship offering. But

rejoiced at having shared in their ministries,

perhaps it might be said that the tone of the

and committed ourselves to praying for

service was set early on as the choir sang a

them in all that is to come.

newly commissioned piece by Christopher Gower. This set words from John’s Gospel in

Then at the end of the year we returned

both Maori and English: Kia u koutou ki roto ki

to beginnings.

ahau, me ahau hoki ki roto ki a koutou. ‘Abide in me as I abide in you’. It was on this text

Calum Zuckert was installed as Youth

that the Dean later preached, asking that we

Chaplain in November. In December, Jo Kelly-

allow our worship and life together to make

Moore was inducted, collated and installed

us places where God’s love abides; places

as Dean of St Albans. This service had so

where other people will also encounter that

many wonderful parts that it probably has

love made known in Jesus Christ.

to be seen to be believed — and fortunately it can be viewed on YouTube! This is thanks

May that calling be a hallmark of our worship

to our newly installed camera and sound

in 2022 and the years to come.

The Dean’s installation

A place of music It has been such an unusual year for all of us. For the musicians in the Cathedral’s choirs the stop-start nature of the lockdowns was very disruptive to the continued education of the choristers and to singing music in our services.

In the first few months up to Easter Day, chorister training continued online, while for the most part a limited number of online services continued with some of the lay clerks and professional sopranos replacing the boys and girls. Numbers had to reduce as we opened for worship in person before Easter, but during the summer term we gradually returned to normal with choristers and lay clerks, so that by the end of May we were up to full strength, albeit spaced out and only singing in the nave. By July we had resumed singing in the quire and have fortunately been able to continue our regular pattern of services since then. July saw the Cathedral host the biennial St Albans International Organ Festival, bringing live in-person concerts back to the Cathedral for the first time since the start of the pandemic. Held over two weeks, the festival celebrates musical talent from around the world through its prestigious organ competition, which this year had to be held online, alongside a series of concert, recitals and other activities. We look forward to the festival’s 60-year anniversary in 2023. The pandemic’s effect on the Cathedral’s music has not been as great as we feared, and chorister recruitment has been strong with a full, if less experienced, complement in the autumn term for both choirs. The termly chorister outreach concerts with local school children resumed in the autumn and this return to something like normal has been greatly appreciated. We were very pleased to sing a full

round of Advent and Christmas services and at the installation of our new Dean. The Abbey Singers, Parish Singers and St Albans Young Singers have also resumed their normal pattern and finally the Parish Orchestra returned to the Parish Eucharist in the late autumn. We said farewell to our organ scholar, Marko Sever, in August and welcomed Dewi Rees in his place, but many didn’t meet or hear him in person until he was well into his first year so we have been glad that he continues to be our organ scholar for a second academic year.

St Albans Cathedral Music Trust The St Albans Cathedral Music Trust continues 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 2021 the Trust donated £121,000 to the Cathedral to support the music department and its work, including grant funding towards the costs of improvements to the Song School. The Trust usually organises a regular programme of events and although these were disrupted, it looks forward to resuming its programme in 2022. The Trust is grateful for the continued support of its donors and patrons to continue its mission to safeguard the Cathedral’s music.

A place for young people The last year has been a busy one for our children and young people. Coming out of the various Covid-19 restrictions has meant a happy return to our prepandemic activities, and a few changes too. Our previous Youth Chaplain, the Revd Kim Quak-Winslow, left in July and was succeeded by the Revd Calum Zuckert at the start of Advent. Children’s Church continues to meet during the 9.30am service during term time on all but the second Sundays when we join the congregation for the all-age service. Children and young people are an integral part of our life here, and our young people are increasingly involved with elements of our worship. During the lockdown restrictions we ran Zoom sessions, leaders made craftdemonstration videos and children made their own videos at home. Since Easter we have been meeting in person; numbers are slightly lower than pre-pandemic, but this academic year we have had 70 children register with 20—30 attending each week. We have three separate groups for school-age children, and their leaders use the Roots resources which follow the lectionary. We run a very successful Diddy Disciples session in the Lady Chapel, which is well attended by pre-school children and their families. Our youth group, Xcite, has continued to hold weekly Friday meetings during term time over the past year online or in person. We currently have 26 members on our list, and around 18 of these attend regularly. The age range is 7—14 years and we encourage the older members to assist with meetings and planning.

STOMP (Service for Toddlers on a Musical Picnic) was restarted in May. We have a small but enthusiastic group of pre-school-age children and their carers (parents and grandparents) and meet weekly in the Michael Chapel on Thursdays for a bible-based interactive session including songs and craft activities based on the Diddy Disciples materials. For some of those attending this is their ‘church’ and an important new congregation. Abbey Tots goes from strength to strength with around 25 children, and each week it is booked full to capacity in advance. We survived the three lockdowns by running our sessions on Zoom with Blue Peter-style activities, songs, stories and much more which were enjoyed by both children and adults. Face-to-face sessions resumed from May. We are so grateful to all our many volunteers who help to lead and support all these activities. Our children and young people are a vital part of our life together, and we continue to give thanks for all that they bring to this place.

A place of learning In another challenging year, the Cathedral’s learning team adapted to rapidly changing circumstances, offering a rich and varied programme of learning and activities for all ages, both in person and digitally. As we go forward, we will continue to build on this diverse range of learning as we pursue our aim to be a renowned centre of Christian learning locally, nationally and internationally. The learning team has benefited from younger members, including our intern, Katie Foxton, and a new Learning and Events Assistant, Marie De Rooy. These roles have been of great value and the Cathedral will continue to offer such openings for those entering the world of work. We are also greatly enriched by our team of volunteers — some returning, some new — who work with our schools team, in the library and in the archives. In the autumn term we were very pleased to welcome back schools on almost every available day. This demonstrates the enduring popularity of our school trails, and our high reputation for learning outside the classroom. Alongside in-person visits, a grant from the Royal Opera House, with support from the cathedral marketing team, enabled the schools team to launch a programme of online engagement. This has been very well received, and will continue to be offered alongside more traditional onsite learning opportunities. Thanks to The National Lottery Heritage funding, our Poet in Residence, Dan Simpson, worked with schools, families and adults to create some exciting poetry. One virtual workshop even included schoolchildren in Spain. This is the first time that we have been able to work with a poet in this way, and it is something we wish to continue.

After a year of almost exclusive online learning in 2020, our adult learning programme has started a move to blended learning experiences in person and online, and continues to draw students from a wider geographical range than previously possible. Online teaching has also meant that we have been able to widen our range of tutors, in particular by giving the opportunity for research students to offer a more diverse range of courses. Overall, numbers of adult learners over the academic year 2020—21 remained high, with 2461 enrolments compared to 2079 in 2018—19. A new arrangement with the Diocese of St Albans has also enabled clergy and Readers to access the library with a postal service, and made it easier for clergy to book onto courses and lectures at no cost. Once again, our Community Engagement Officer coordinated a full summer programme of activities, the Medieval Summer. This attracted over 2000 people, and for the first time since the Reformation we were able to receive back on loan from Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, one of our medieval manuscripts, The Book of Benefactors, which was displayed in the new exhibition area in our ‘Lives and Legacies’ exhibition. We were pleased to be able to partner with St Albans Museum + Gallery in this venture. An exhibition about former Deans,

Holding Space This building is held up by more than cement and stone, than buttress and brickwork. People lay on hands leaning themselves quietly for a moment lending their own strength to the upkeep of the Cathedral. Dan Simpson Poet in Residence 2020–21

curated by our volunteers in the archives, also heralded the arrival of Dean Jo Kelly-Moore. We are always delighted to welcome graduates from the University of Hertfordshire for their annual graduation ceremonies at the Cathedral. This year was extra special following the postponement of ceremonies from last year. For some graduates it is their first experience of the Cathedral with life-long memories being formed. Finally, we are especially indebted to Nick Daymond, a trustee of the St Albans Cathedral Education Trust, for stepping in for a term as interim Head of Learning, bringing his experience as a secondary head teacher and educational consultant.

St Albans Cathedral Education Trust The Cathedral’s learning programme is supported generously by the St Albans Cathedral Education Trust, which helps subsidise activities, develop new programmes and reach new audiences. The Trust’s support is greatly appreciated. Individuals and schools who would like to contribute to this work can become Learning Patrons and enjoy special events during the year. The Trust is grateful to all those for their support over the past year.

“The excitement and awe the children felt were tangible” — School visit

A place of heritage The pandemic has not interrupted the need to continue the ongoing care and restoration of the Cathedral’s historic site and building. The Shrine of St Amphibalus With the completion of the restoration of the shrine of St Amphibalus in 2020, in early 2021 we were delighted to add the new shrine canopy, designed and made by the Royal School of Needlework and kindly funded by the Friends of St Albans Cathedral. In stunning gold and blue, the canopy matches colours from the stained-glass windows of the chapel and coordinates with the red silk of the canopy on the shrine of St Alban. Eagle-eyed visitors can spot a daffodil and a hedgehog amid its unique design. Thanks to a generous private donation, a series of narrative icons has also been hung next to the Amphibalus Shrine. By icon writer Peter Murphy, they tell the story of Amphibalus and Alban in a stunning and beautiful way. The ramp up to the shrine of St Amphibalus has also been reconfigured to improve access and sight lines, with beautiful tiling to match the original tiles in the south ambulatory. Furniture and candlesticks have also been commissioned and will be installed in 2022. The Frosterley marble altar slab The medieval Frosterley marble altar slab set upon a Purbeck marble tomb-chest base in the 19th century had been shoehorned into the north-east corner of the south ambulatory between a radiator and

a temporary plywood ramp. It was under appreciated and dislocated from any liturgical context, so the Cathedral Chapter agreed it should be moved and brought back into liturgical use in the Memorial Chapel on the north side of the nave sanctuary, following conservation by Skillington Workshop. The altar slab is carved from Frosterley ‘marble’ that is found in the River Wear valley in County Durham — a dark Carboniferous limestone that contains fossils. It is considered to have high historic significance: the connection with the early Abbey expansion, links with Durham Cathedral as another significant place of medieval pilgrimage and the miraculous healing of Abbot Richard D’Albini’s withered arm in Durham. The large slab of Frosterley marble also has some rarity value in a location so far removed from County Durham.

The Cathedral has been awarded a bronze Eco Church award. This is administered by the environmental charity A Rocha to encourage churches to place global stewardship at the heart of their ministry and community life. Awards are given on the basis of a survey of worship and teaching, buildings, land, community and global engagement, and on lifestyle. The cathedral environmental working group is now aiming towards a silver award. (ecochurch.arocha.org.uk)

Caring for our landscape The Cathedral is committed to care for both its buildings and land and has a long-term vision for its precinct and wider grounds to improve accessibility, care for the environment and creation, maximise community use and enhance the setting of our beautiful Grade-I listed building. The first phase of this work to improve the area to the east of the Cathedral has now begun, thanks to a number of generous donors and trusts, including the Friends of St Albans Cathedral. These works are due to be completed in the early summer. Our overall vision, as yet unfunded, will not only help bring new visitors to the Cathedral but also strengthen the links between the Cathedral, the city and the wider community.

Caring for our fabric Thanks to a grant from Historic England, over the summer we carried out a ropes access survey to identify loose masonry on the external walls of the north and south transepts. This reported on areas where the fabric was specifically at risk and also enabled us to carry out urgent stone and brick repairs, replacing loose flints and mortar where required. Behind the scenes As part of the Cathedral’s commitment to increased environmental sustainability, we have replaced many of our external and internal lighting with LED bulbs including the theatre lighting in the nave and the bulbs in the 18 chandeliers between the nave piers. Ongoing maintenance has included new pigeon deterrent netting and spikes in the west end porches to protect the stone fabric. Beyond our Cathedral building, much work also continues in maintaining our residential properties, relatively few in number but frequently expensive to maintain. We are also looking forward in 2022 to beginning significant planned maintenance and repair work to our property on Holywell Hill at the entrance to Sumpter Yard.

The Friends of St Albans Cathedral There are over 1000 Friends. They help with financial and practical support and enjoy social and educational opportunities linked to the life and work of the Cathedral. The Friends also produce a magazine for their members, The Alban Link, and regularly produce publications covering various aspects of the Cathedral’s heritage and life. The Friends donation to the Cathedral in 2021 was £42,000. This enabled the Cathedral to provide a beautiful canopy for the restored shrine of St Amphibalus and conserve that of St Alban, conduct an audit on current accessibility within the Cathedral, and undertake an independent review to assess how best to conserve the wall painting of St William of York. The Friends also continue to support the annual Albantide pilgrimage financially and the completion of the archaeological report on the 1980s Chapter House build.

“A stunning presentation with the cathedral architecture in the background” — Life | What a Wonderful World visitor

A place to visit The new year started with a cold snap, and the beautifully snowy cathedral became a photographer’s dream. We were then delighted to see visitors return after a difficult Christmas in 2020 under lockdown restrictions. February saw the unveiling of the restored shrine of St Amphibalus and the Alban Bun made its return in March with multiple orders flooding into the Abbot’s Kitchen, after it had been featured on ITV’s This Morning and Loose Women. Legend has it that a 14thcentury monk, Brother Thomas Rocliffe, created the original hot cross bun at St Albans Abbey and gave them out to the poor on Good Friday. The recipe remains a closely guarded secret to this day. Layne Rowe’s stunning installation ‘Solace’ brought thousands into the Cathedral in April. All 160 glass feathers were individually blown by this local artist. Visitors had the opportunity to reflect on events in the past year, or simply take an amazing winged photo. Most of the delicate feathers survived to make their way to Ely Cathedral for others to enjoy. In May, we took a step into an even more digital world by creating a cutting-edge 360-degree virtual tour of the Cathedral. St Albans Cathedral gained a worldwide online following during the pandemic, but not everyone can visit in person. We brought the intricate details of the historic building online with a virtual experience where you can go behind the scenes and explore some of our hidden secrets including the bell chamber, stone store and medieval watching loft.

The Albantide pilgrimage returned in June, swiftly followed by the St Albans International Organ Festival and our Medieval Summer and ‘Lives and Legacies’ exhibition — in total we welcomed 4000 people into the Cathedral during the summer, bringing new people to experience new activities. The Royal Institute of British Architects awarded two RIBA East awards in August to Simpson & Brown, the architects of the welcome centre. Opened in 2019, the new entrance, shop, café and visitor interpretation provide a wonderful 21st-century addition to the Cathedral. September saw our biggest number of visitors for any month. We joined the National Trust’s Heritage Open Days campaign on the theme of Medieval Munchies with guest appearances from Brother Rocliffe and his Alban Bun, a Brother Infirmarian who showed people how to cure common ailments with herbs grown in the monastery’s gardens, and troublesome townspeople preparing to storm the Abbey as part of the Peasants’ Revolt. This was also the month when we said hello to the University of Hertfordshire for their graduation ceremonies. In the autumn half term Life | What a Wonderful World sold over 13,000 tickets — a wonderful achievement by staff and

volunteers that brought the Cathedral to life through sound and light projections, with the nave as the pinnacle of the immersive experience. The annual Fireworks Spectacular then returned to Verulamium Park in November after last year’s doorstep viewing. A record number of tickets were sold and we were able to make a record donation of £40,000 to three local charities — Age UK Hertfordshire, Hertfordshire Domestic Abuse Helpline and Highfield Park Trust. Despite the emergence of the Omicron Covid-19 variant, December still proved very busy. Thousands visited the Cathedral, shop and café and attended services including the very popular Carols on the Hour and our many school carol services. We trialled

contactless donations for candles and raised the suggested donation to the Cathedral to £10. Early signs show that this is working well in the ever increasingly cashless society. Our advent calendar proved very popular on social media, with an increase in video content for 2021. The clergy were the stars of the show with 8000 views of their Christmas Eve rendition of ‘Deck the Halls’. As ever, none of this would have been 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 new and old in 2022 and beyond.

“This is one of my favourite places to visit.” — Josephine, Google Reviews

Finances The Covid-19 pandemic continued to impact the Cathedral’s income in the first half of 2021, with a third lockdown from January to March and the gradual lifting of restrictions through to July. The second half of the year brought with it a degree of financial recovery, but amid continued uncertainty. The Cathedral has continued to draw on Government support, including the Culture Recovery Fund, the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and Business Support Grants, in total receiving £208,000 in 2021.

Several activities and events from July to

couple of years, including to the Deanery

November brought additional income to the

Barn and Deanery Offices, electrical work

Cathedral. These included the St Albans

in the Cathedral, and the renovation of

International Organ Festival, expanded

our property on Holywell Hill to rent the

graduation ceremonies for the University of

residential space above the retail unit.

Hertfordshire, the Life | What a Wonderful

Our renewed exterior landscaping and

World sound and light show, and the

recent Alban, Britain’s First Saint capital

ever-popular annual Fireworks Spectacular.

investment also bring with them increasing maintenance costs.

This year also saw significant and necessary unfunded spending on the upkeep of our

As we look forward financially, St Albans

buildings, including a major refurbishment

Cathedral

of The Old Rectory and the renewal of

foundation and a space for innovation.

areas of lighting within the Cathedral.

Increasing

This would not be possible without the

ambition and robust financial stewardship.

continued financial contribution from our

Net Zero 2030 is not far off. And there

congregations and visitors.

is much more we want to achieve in the

remains costs

both call

for

constant continued

delivery of our purpose and vision. The The Cathedral has returned a surplus

Cathedral’s focus on never over-relying

in 2021, which provides something of a

on one income source has stood it well

financial ‘safety-net’ as visitor numbers,

through the last two difficult years; the

school visits and other events continue

next few years may be difficult to forecast,

to return to pre-pandemic levels. Our

but we continue with confidence on our

unrestricted financial reserves end the

path of looking for new opportunities to

year at £3.6m. Further necessary upkeep

diversify further and grow our income to

work is planned or anticipated over the next

meet our costs.

32 NET INCOME TRENDS 2019-2021

4000

310 223 3000

157 33 294

£’000

334

583

166 86

1506 2000

505 264

1000

368

130 694 30

675 65

919

856

934

2019

2020

2021

Donations & Fundraising Alban, Britain’s First Saint Fundraising Grant Funding

Alban, Britain’s First Saint Grants

Commercial Trading

Legacies

Investments

Charitable Activities

33 SPENDING 2021 (excluding £187,000 of Alban, Britain’s First Saint capital works)

Outreach & Charitable Giving £97,000

Visitors & Welcome £176,000

Education & Learning £257,000

12%

22% Upkeep £462,000

43% 5% Major Repairs & Restoration £100,000

Ministry, Music & Mission £884,000

Fundraising £98,000

Financial information is included for information purposes only. Copies of the Cathedral’s full statutory annual report and audited financial statements are available from the Cathedral or can be found on our website www.stalbanscathedral.org

Supporting the Cathedral We are grateful to all who have contributed to the life and mission of the Cathedral in 2021 in so many ways. St Albans Cathedral is an independent charitable organisation and receives no regular direct funding from the Government. The future health of the Cathedral depends upon continued financial support, particularly in such uncertain times. 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 to educational programmes, your gift will make a difference. Leaving a gift in your will — a legacy gift is one of the most effective ways that 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. Becoming a Patron of Learning or of Music — subscribe annually to support directly one of these important elements of the Cathedral’s life, and enjoy regular newsletters and special events.

Adopting the Cathedral — adopt a brick, an organ pipe or an item from the archives — as a personal donation, a gift for friend or family, 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 while having a chance of winning in the monthly prize draw. Becoming a volunteer — join our committed and loyal volunteers to play 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 place. To find out more about how you can support the Cathedral, please visit the website: www.stalbanscathedral.org or contact the Development Office: 01727 890229 development@stalbanscathedral.org

Our mission is to:

• Be a community that ref lects Jesus’s teaching; • Share the faith and grow in faith; • Deepen our unity with fellow Christians; • Stand with St Alban for truth and justice; • Offer a warm welcome to all; • Serve the Bishop and Diocese of St Albans as

their Cathedral Church; and • Enhance, conserve and develop this holy place.

Cathedral Governance The Chapter Chapter is the Cathedral’s governing body. It directs and oversees the administration of the Cathedral’s affairs and has a leadership role in policy, strategy and vision. 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. Dean The Very Revd Jeffrey John (until March 2021) The Very Revd Jo Kelly-Moore (from December 2021)

Lay Members Helen Gray Sarah Keeling Philip Waller CBE Bishop’s Appointee Graham Field

The Cathedral Council The Cathedral Council is an advisory and consultative body, providing guidance for Chapter as well as reviewing and advising Chapter in its direction and oversight of the Cathedral’s work. The Cathedral Council met twice in 2021. It is chaired by Elizabeth Sergeant.

Sub Dean The Revd Canon Abigail Thompson (until September 2021)

The College of Canons The College of Canons consists of clergy and lay people from across the Diocese of St

Canon Chancellor The Revd Canon Kevin Walton Residentiary Canon and Diocesan Director of Vocations The Revd Canon Tim Bull Residentiary Canon and Diocesan Director of Mission & Ministry The Revd Canon Tim Lomax Cathedral Wardens Canon Carol Borras Canon Moira Dean Canon Hilary Knight

Albans and comprises the Dean and every person holding the office of Residentiary or Honorary Canon. The college expresses the close relationship between the Cathedral and the rest of the diocese and is key to the continued development of the Cathedral’s strong relationship with the diocese. The College of Canons held their annual meeting on Zoom in June 2021. Installations of Canons were held in May and November, when ten new Canons were installed, including a Canon Scientist and Canon Environmentalist.

Acknowledgements Thanks go to our contributors, including: Photographers Aaron Jones

Layne Rowe

Alison Debenham

Lydia Pazzi-Axworthy

Dave Wood

Paul Wikinson

Emma Collins Photography

Royal School of Needlework

Design

Cathedral Contact For further information and for all parish matters, please contact the Cathedral Office: 01727 890200 mail@stalbanscathedral.org Sumpter Yard St Albans Hertfordshire AL1 1BY 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

Thank You The Cathedral would like to thank everyone who has supported our work and mission in the past year. We would like to extend a warm thank you to the following organisations and groups: The Cathedral’s congregations

Historic England

and volunteers

The Jarvis Charitable Trust

Allchurches Trust

The Laing Family Trusts

Aylett Nurseries

Marks and Tilt Ltd

Borras Construction Ltd

The Martin Smith Foundation

Cathedral Music Trust

The National Lottery Heritage Fund

The Cathedral Wardens

Rebecca Hussey’s Book Charity

The Church Commissioners for England

Royal Opera House Bridge

The Church of England Cathedrals Fabric

Selectaglaze

Commission for England Collinson Hall Co-op London Road

St Albans Business Improvement District St Albans Cathedral Alban Foundation & Ambassadors

Culture Recovery Fund for Heritage

St Albans Cathedral Education Trust

Department for Digital, Culture, Media

St Albans Cathedral Music Trust

and Sport The Diocese of St Albans The Fairstead Trust The Friends of St Albans Cathedral The Gretna Charitable Trust

St Albans City & District Council Steel Charitable Trust Taylor Walton Solicitors The Williams Church Music Trust

Every year we are honoured to receive gifts from supporters who chose to remember the Cathedral in their will. We would like to pay tribute to all those who gave their support in this way in 2021. Our thanks also go to all those who have made private donations and anonymous gifts.