Archived decisions
REQUEST FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE - PORTSMOUTH CATHEDRAL DEVELOPMENT TRUST
1 Summary of Request
1.1 Portsmouth Cathedral Development Trust has launched an appeal to raise £2m to develop the Cathedral and its facilities for present and future generations. The three key areas of this development are intended:
· To bring up to date the facilities of its community building alongside the Cathedral so as to develop and extend education and music in the Diocese and City
· To create first class visitor facilities for members of the congregation, tourists and audiences at concerts and arts events
· To help restore and maintain the fabric of the medieval church
1 Education Centre
1.1 The development of the education centre in Cathedral House will create, inter alia: a room for workshops for visiting schools which will include audio visual facilities for giving presentations; a music hall to enable the current cathedral choir to rehearse and provide facilities for a new girls' choir called Cantate; and improved community facilities including kitchen, meeting rooms and storage area. The work to Cathedral House is expected to be complete by the end of May this year and cost in the region of £215,000.
1.2 These facilities will help to attract more schools to visit the Cathedral and provide more opportunities for young people and adults to take part in high quality music education and performance venue.
2 Visitor numbers
2.1 Children come to the Cathedral from schools in Gosport, Havant, Petersfield, Winchester, Aldershot, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth, Southampton and many other areas within approximately 90 minutes drive. The majority of the visits are made by schools groups of primary school age.
2.2 In 2006, the Cathedral accommodated over 4,000 children for booked tours and events, 1,500 children for unbooked tours and events and over 700 children for its workshops. Many of the children who visit the Cathedral as part of a school group often undertake repeat visits with their families and in some cases it is the first time that other family members have visited.
3 Finance
3.1 Funding requests are also being submitted to Portsmouth City Council, Fareham Borough Council, Havant Borough Council, Gosport Borough Council and East Hampshire District Council.
4 Comments
4.1 The comments of the Director of Children's Services are as follows:
i The Christian Church has traditionally played an important role in the education of children. The County Council continues to work closely with all the dioceses in Hampshire. The County Council maintains fifty-six aided primary and secondary schools and works together with the churches to ensure that children receive the best possible education.
ii Children benefit from the opportunity to go on educational visits. Well organised and managed visits can enable children to learn about some aspects of their lives more easily and enhance their understanding of work they are doing in school. At a time when active involvement in Christian worship is declining, visits to the cathedral could give children an awareness of spirituality which many do not experience in their day to day lives.
iii Much of the history, and even the geography and landscape of the country cannot be understood properly without an understanding of the role that the Christian religion has played in our development. Our moral and ethical standards are heavily influenced by Christian teaching. Providing children with an opportunity to understand the role the church has played in shaping this country and our society's values will enable them to make greater sense of the world in which they find themselves. They will also acquire greater knowledge and awareness of their locality.
iv This development also provides an opportunity to strengthen the links holding communities together. The educational work undertaken by the cathedral's education unit will play a wider role. Not only will children benefit but so will their parents. Links can be made between parents and the cathedral which would not happen without the activity of the education centre. The education centre will provide a resource that will not only benefit local people but also strengthen the capacity of the cathedral to play a wider role in its community.
Recommendation:
That a grant of £150,000 to be financed in 2006/07 and 2007/08 be awarded to Portsmouth Cathedral Development Trust towards renovating and refurbishing its educational centre subject to appropriate contributions being made by those local authorities mentioned in paragraph 4.1 above to cover the balance of £65,000.