This week, representatives from the Association of English Cathedrals have visited Carlisle Cathedral.
Anna Pitt (Executive Director) and Jane Bower (Communications Project Lead) spent time with Cathedral staff and volunteers, experienced Angels’ View and Sacred Light tours and discussed many topics such as the recently-released Theos report, the National Cathedrals’ Conference, and the Nation’s Favourite Stained Glass Window competition – organised by the AEC – which Carlisle’s East Window won in February.
Anna said “It was a joy to visit Carlisle Cathedral and share in the enthusiasm of the staff and volunteers for sharing their incredible stained glass. The enthusiasm and passion of the volunteers, the heartbeat of any cathedral, brought to light the stories and history of the windows and the building.
Despite a challenging sector-wide landscape, it is so inspiring to see the team at Carlisle Cathedral engaging with such positivity and ambition. Their place as a cathedral for the community is evident, and it’s such a delight to see the cafe as a space for the community to gather as well as a commercial success. It is really a pleasure to see such a committed team working with such resilience and momentum!”
The Venerable Michael Everitt, Interim Dean of Carlisle added “It was a joy to welcome Anna and Jane to Carlisle Cathedral. For them to see firsthand why it was voted in their competition this year as having the Nation’s Favourite stained glass window and to experience how much more is on offer. The AEC does wonderful work supporting cathedrals and being a highly successful advocate for them and we thank them for all their work.”
Thank you both for your time, advice and expertise.
📸Edith McColgan (Chief Operating Officer), Michael Everitt (Interim Dean), Anna Pitt (AEC), Jane Bower (AEC), Aidan Whelan (Cathedral Volunteer Guide) and Cath Coates (Marketing and Comms Officer).
