Appeal to save Canterbury Cathedral reaches £9m

|PIC1|A major appeal to raise millions of pounds towards vital conservation work at the historic Canterbury Cathedral has reached the £9 million mark.

The Save Canterbury Cathedral Appeal was launched two years ago with the long-term goal of raising £50 million towards the conservation and development of the cathedral, a World Heritage Site founded in 597 by St Augustine.

Although Canterbury Cathedral costs more than £14,500 a day to run, it receives very little external funding and is dependent on its own resources and donations for funding.

Commenting on this new milestone, Matthew Butler, Chief Executive of the Save Canterbury Cathedral Appeal, said, "We have seen a tremendous response to the Appeal in the last year, particularly when considering the current economic climate. We have continued to be delighted by the generosity of people who have donated financially, run events or volunteered their time."

The first two years have focused on raising funds within the local Kent community, but there are plans to roll the appeal out further.

"There is still a long way to go - £41 million to be precise, and we have much planned for the next few years to ensure we secure these donations," said Butler.

The next fundraising event will be the appeal's annual Christmas concert in the nave of the Cathedral on Saturday 13 December. "A Baroque Christmas" will feature many popular and familiar classical Christmas pieces performed by members of the English National Opera and the internationally acclaimed choir, The Sixteen.


On the web: www.savecanterburycathedral.com