To view a video message from the Dean of Carlisle, please click here.
Safeguarding Season returns to Carlisle Cathedral this month, to further lament, listen and learn from the survivors of abuse. The two-week Season has been organised by Carlisle Cathedral, working in partnership with the Diocese of Carlisle, LOUDfence and Churches Together in Cumbria. The Season will begin on Sunday 13 October and run until Sunday 27 October.
The Very Revd Jonathan Brewster, Dean of Carlisle, said “We look forward to hosting our fourth Safeguarding Season at Carlisle Cathedral. During this time there will be an opportunity for reflection through services and prayer and the Cathedral will provide a safe space for those affected by abuse. We continue to pledge our unwavering commitment to Safeguarding and will work together with our partner organisations to ensure that we continue to lament, listen and learn.”
The season will begin with a Safeguarding Sunday service in the Cathedral on 13 October at 10.30am, where the preacher will be The Revd Eleanor Hancock. The service will include a recommitment to the safeguarding pledge, set out during the first Safeguarding Season hosted in 2021. The pledge, adopted by Carlisle Cathedral Chapter, commits to:
- share responsibility for creating an environment that is safe for all.
- pray for our safeguarding leads and those working with children and adults.
- respect the boundaries that are in place to protect others.
- support those in our church who have been hurt or abused.
- provide on-going safeguarding training for all our workers.
- allow sufficient time and resources to make our recruitment of workers safer.
- maintaining an open culture where people are encouraged to share concerns.
- not take offence when challenged about our presence or behaviour.
On the same day, at 3pm, there will be a special Diocesan Celebration of Parish Safeguarding Officers. This Choral Evensong service will highlight, and give thanks for, the dedication and commitment given by those who hold this role throughout the Diocese of Carlisle. The service will be led by The Right Revd Rob Saner-Haigh, Bishop of Penrith.
Bishop Rob said: “We are thrilled to be holding this service for the first time. It is important that as a Diocese we formally recognise the wonderful work of so many volunteers across the county who are steadfast in their commitment to making church a safer place for all. Huge thanks go to every Parish Safeguarding Officer for the time, effort and dedication they channel into these roles. Theirs is not an easy task and I would ask that people continue to hold in prayer both them and their work.”
Weekly Eucharist services, held on each Wednesday at 12.30pm, will also focus on the themes of peace and justice. There will be a dedicated place of prayer in a side chapel with an opportunity to light candles and tie coloured ribbons to a prayer tree.
On Wednesday 23 October, a LOUDfence installation will also be created in the Cathedral grounds, at which people will be able to publicly tie ribbons, to represent all those affected by abuse of whatever kind.
This year’s Safeguarding season will have a particular focus on those affected by domestic abuse. Working with The Mothers’ Union, the Cathedral will be hosting the “Souls of the Shoes” Exhibition which highlights the voices of those who have been silenced by domestic abuse. Arrangements are also being put in place to ensure pastoral support is offered to anyone who has been affected by abuse and who makes an approach for further help.
During Safeguarding Season, Carlisle Cathedral and the Diocese of Carlisle are also encouraging those involved with Cathedral life to support a forthcoming Safeguarding Audit by completing an anonymous online survey.
The Cathedral and Diocese of Carlisle are to undergo an independent Safeguarding Audit in January 2025 as part of a Church of England-wide initiative, commissioned by the Archbishop’s Council and carried out by the INEQE Safeguarding Group. The aim of the audit is to ensure dioceses and cathedrals throughout the Church of England are doing all they can to create environments where everyone feels safe, valued and respected.
As part of this, an anonymous online survey has been created and members of Cathedral life are encouraged to take a few moments to contribute their feedback. Please click here to complete the survey, which will be open until Wednesday 6 November 2024.
Anyone affected by the issues mentioned above is encouraged to contact Safe Spaces: an independent service supporting survivors of church-related abuse. This service is run by the charity Victim Support and funded by the Church of England together with the Catholic Church in England and Wales and the Church in Wales. It is free to access via telephone, email or web-chat.
- Tel: 0300 303 1056 (answerphone available outside of opening times)
- Email: safespaces@victimsupport.org.uk
- Web-chat – via the Safe Spaces website
Photo below: The Right Revd Rob Saner-Haigh, Bishop of Penrith, and The Very Revd Jonathan Brewster, Dean of Carlisle, tie ribbons to the prayer tree in Carlisle Cathedral.
