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Portsmouth Cathedral Development Appeal
‘Continuing The Voyage’
The New Year provides me with an opportunity to report the very real progress that is being made with both the Appeal and the building works here at the Cathedral. You will recall the three key objectives of our capital appeal are:
Tom Morton left the Portsmouth Cathedral Development Trust as Appeal Director at the end of August but I’m delighted to report that he has decided to become a PCDT Trustee, retaining a responsibility to provide oversight of the PCDT finances. Without Tom’s relentless enthusiasm and passion for the appeal I am sure we would not be as successful as we have been.
 Cathedral House was completed in time for the HM Lord-Lieutenant and the Leader of Hampshire County Council to formally open the building on Thursday 11th October during a schools workshop. Supporters of the Appeal and members of the congregation were invited to a preview of the refurbished facilities on Wednesday 10th October with The Dean and Canon Michael Tristram on behalf of Chapter and the refurbished facilities were received extremely well. We hope that in the coming weeks and months you will be able to view first hand the excellent work that has taken place.
The Administration, Appeal, Finance and Music Departments have now moved into their new offices within Cathedral House. The newly refurbished Cathedral House will help us deliver much needed improvements to our education, music and our community and arts initiatives. It will help generate the means to build Cantate, our new youth choir. We aim to become Portsmouth’s centre of excellence for choral music and to provide outstanding choral music tutelage for local children who until now have had no access to such training.
We continue to emphasise the need for proper access for all, the provision of a lift in the building and the new road crossing connecting Cathedral House with the Cathedral have provided the necessary and vital improvements for the disabled, the elderly and for mothers and toddlers and children who found it difficult to negotiate the previously rather awkward crossing arrangements; no one will then be excluded for reasons of disability or difficulty of access.
The next phase in the appeal will be the refurbishment of facilities within the North Cloister. This will incorporate the provision of our new education room, create much needed improvements to our lavatory facilities, including disabled toilets and the installation of a chair lift to gain access to the School Room and Vergers' Vestry. Building work started at the beginning of January with a scheduled completion date at the end of April 2008.
Restoration work to the medieval church has started with repairs to the Chapel of Healing and Reconciliation now complete. This included the repair to the interior medieval walls damaged by the salt laden air which penetrated our three foot thick masonry. The delivery last year of the Cathedral’s first Conservation Plan will also greatly help inform the way ahead for the care of the entire building.
In summary, we are making really good progress. Without the assistance of our many other generous supporters we would not be this far along the path to success. The appeal team continues to work together with the wider congregation and the Diocese towards our target of £2 Million; at the time of writing the total funds committed or pledged for the appeal has surpassed, £1,597,226 and for that magnificent effort we are immensely grateful for the support of many generous individuals and charitable trusts and foundations whose contributions have made our total possible. Within the Cathedral itself, our congregational Fundraising Events Group has contributed, from a fascinating and wide ranging number of events, since the appeal launch, a magnificent £96,162, to our total: there are more events to come!
Progress is real and we hope that this update will help demonstrate our real appreciation of past support. With our £2M target now firmly in sight we do hope that you might now consider making a donation toward our appeal. The ‘Pledge and Gift Aid Form and Standing Order Mandate' remain available online and in the Cathedral Offices.
Tracey Harper
Appeal Co-ordinator
Portsmouth Cathedral Development Trust (PCDT)
E-mail: tracey.harper@portsmouthcathedral.org.uk
Office: Direct Line 0239289 2962
Office: 02392 823300 Ext 236
8 January 2008
A full list of events planned in support of the Appeal is available click here.
The Pledge and Gift Aid For, list of events and notices are published in Adobe® Acrobat® Reader format
You can download the latest free version here
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