The Annual Vestry Meeting and Annual Congregational Meeting Sunday 25 October 2020 5.30pm (By Zoom)

AGENDA and MINUTES

To receive joining details please send an email to Peter Dobson [email protected]

Annual Parish Vestry Meeting 1. Opening Prayer 2. Apologies for Absence 3. To elect four Churchwardens 4. Any other business (if notified in advance)

Annual Congregational Meeting

1. Minutes of the last meeting

2. Elections a. To elect Assistant Church Wardens b. To elect two representatives to the Community Forum c. To elect two representatives Churches Together d. To elect four representatives to Synod e. To elect Sidesmen

3. Reports a. Report from the Dean b. Report on the Electoral Roll c. Report from the Canon for Music and Liturgy d. Report from the Canon for Outreach and Discipleship e. Report from the Canon f. Report on the Finances g. Report on Safeguarding h. Report on the Community Forum i. Report on the Deanery Synod j. Report from the Churchwardens k. Report on the Common Ground and Sacred Space Project l. Report on Marketing and Communications m. Report on the Lay Intercessors n. Report on Music o. Report on the Servers p. Report on the Bells q. Report on the Flower Fellowship r. Report on Newcastle City Centre Churches Together

4. Any other business (if notified in advance)

2 5. The Grace.

Minutes of the Annual Parish Vestry and Annual Congregational Meeting held in the Cathedral on Sunday 7th April 2019.

Present: The Very Revd , (Chair), Revd Canon Clare MacLaren, Revd Canon Steven Harvey, Revd Canon Jean Skinner, Revd Thomas Sharp, Ms K Sussams (Operations Director) and Ms E Robertson (Cathedral Secretary) were in attendance. 36 others were present.

The meeting commenced with prayer led by the Dean.

Apologies for absence had been received from Mrs M. Canham, Mrs I Heppell, Miss J. Marrs, Mrs A. Petrie, Mr & Mrs I. Roberts and Mr R. Watson.

Mrs S. Hood will stand down this year as Churchwarden. The Dean thanked Mrs S. Hood for her many years’ service as Churchwarden and Sidesperson. A small presentation was made.

Parish Vestry Meeting

Election of Churchwardens The Dean read out the names of those nominated: Mr Chris Malcolm, Mr G. Scott and Mr Timothy Wigglesworth. An election was not necessary and the above were duly appointed to office.

This being all the business the Parish Vestry Meeting was closed.

Annual Congregational Meeting

Minutes Minutes of the meeting held on 22nd April were approved and accepted.

Report on the Electoral Roll Ms E. Robertson reported that in accordance with the requirements of the Synodical Government Measure 1969 a revised Electoral Roll for 2019/2020 had been prepared and exhibited for inspection in the Chapter Office. There were 131 names on the Roll (92 households).

Election of Assistant Churchwardens The following were appointed as Assistant Churchwardens: Mr David Dunscombe, Mrs Christine Hawkins, Ms Alison Malcolm, Mrs L. McDermott, Mr Arthur Perkins, Mrs Vicki Pickering,

Cathedral Chapter Mr Eric Jubb and Mr David Lawrence put their names forward for election. There were no other nominations, and both were duly elected.

3 Cathedral Council Gerald Graham put his name forward for election. There were no other nominations, so he was duly elected.

Deanery Synod One vacancy remains.

Community Forum Mr Raymond Watson and Mrs Marjorie Wood put their names forward for election. There were no other nominations and both were duly elected.

City Centre Churches Together Dr Carys Underdown put her name forward for election. There were no other nominations so was duly elected.

Sidesmen Sidesmen were re-elected en bloc.

The various reports included in the Annual Report booklet were presented and accepted en bloc.

The Dean’s Report The Dean thanked the staff for the preparation of the Annual Report’s Booklet. A report had not been received from the Bellringers, but this was due to an e-mail communication problem.

The back lane was still a problem with dirt and mess. NE1 and the Local Authority have met and discussed this problem, although it is out of the control of the Cathedral with building works etc taking place at present it could possibly get messier in the short term.

The Crypt is still drying out. It lies on a tributary which goes down to the river so even although we are trying to dry it out it will always be slightly damp.

The HLF Second Stage Application will be announced in the next few weeks. Match funding of £1.6/7 million has been raised. This will be forthcoming following the decision from HLF. The Dean expressed his thanks to his staff for the long hours and hard work that has been put into the application. Further plans cannot move ahead until the decision is known (which will be around the beginning of May, following local elections).

The CGISS Project will internally be known as ‘Making Sacred Space Common Ground’ to which there will be three strands of work.

Inspiring Worship At the heart of the life of the Cathedral will be a thriving and growing worshipping community, that prioritises prayer, nourishes disciples, feasts on Bread and Wine. This will be led by the Canon for Music and Liturgy along with the Music Department and the Ministry team.

4 Radical Welcome Open door for everyone which will bring challenges and joys. The Cathedral will be known for its warm, inclusive hospitality offered in the name of Christ. The CGISS ‘project’ will be mainstreamed as a hallmark of the Cathedral’s mission.

This will be led by the Director of Operations along with the Project Manager and the Delivery Board

Empowering Worth To gain better skills and better ability to welcome the vulnerable and under privileged. The Cathedral will be a confident participant in the life of the City. The Cathedral will be boldly proclaiming (in word and deed) an authentic message of hope. The work and life of the Cathedral will demonstrate, embody and celebrate the Diocesan Mission: ‘Growing Church Bringing Hope’. The will enjoy the Cathedral as its ‘Mother Church’ and its support for the ’s teaching ministry. This will be led by the new Canon for Mission and Discipleship (Canon Steven’s replacement) and the Steering Group for the Lantern Initiative.

The Dean recorded his gratitude and thanks to everyone (too many to mention by name) who have volunteered in any way in the Cathedral. He also recorded his thanks to Canon Clare, Canon Steven, Canon John and Canon Jean, the lay staff, the music team and the verger’s team.

The Dean informed the meeting that Canon Jean would have the title of Canon Pastor from today onwards and also that Canon Steven would be retiring at the end of May, he will be greatly missed but there will be a time to say a proper farewell nearer the time.

Finance Report Kate Sussams, Director of Operations spoke to the Finance Report.

The financial year ending December 31st, 2018 has been like recent years in many ways. We have worked hard to manage our income tightly and to continue to push areas for income growth. We have come in under our predicted growth (£154,579 against a budgeted deficit of £174,787) and only had to draw down £50,000 from our reserves for cash-flow purposes. Once again, income from collections has increased and this is a testament to the very generous donations our congregation give week-on-week, as well as donations from visitors through the Almsboxes, contactless donation point and candle income. Events and hire continues to be an important growth area and this year we have seen an increase on budget’ this area is not without its challenges including staff capacity and impact on the building. This year’s below-budget deficit was particularly rewarding given that there was still an income budget of £12,000 set for the café (based on 2017 performance and a budget approved in October 2017).

One of the biggest successes on 2018 is yet to come! The Finance Committee and Chapter have long been concerned about the challenges of raising enough income to cover the annual running costs. Revenue fundraising is currently beyond the capacity/skills of the Cathedral team and so an application for a three year part-time fundraiser was put to the Church Commissioners as part of their Sustainability Fund. We were delighted to have found out in December that we had been successful and, depending on the outcome of the HLF bid, a fundraiser will be in place

5 either late 2019 or early 2020. We need to make sure that any fundraiser’s work dovetails with the fundraising being carried out for the project and also to ensure that we have maximum impact of revenue fundraising when we re-open after any capital works planned as part of the project.

The HLF project (if successful) will continue to have an impact on the way our finances are presented. Revenue spend is currently recorded through our management accounts and the income recorded as a grant. In future, any HLF income will be split between revenue and capital items and we are working with our auditors about how these are recorded efficiently in our management accounts so as not to skew our year-on-year picture. In 2018, our budgeted expenditure was over £91,985 more than the budgeted expenditure; this was almost all staff costs associated with the HLF project and not budgeted for income (covered by a generous grant from the Cathedral Trust).

One of the biggest things we worked on in 2018 was the business Plan for the HLF Stage 2 application. The consultants leading on the Business Plan were Tyne & Wear Archives and Museums (TWAM) who had good knowledge of the cultural sector in the north-east and worked hard with us to drill down into areas where we could make the biggest income. Those included revenue fundraising, events hire and also fulfilling the potential of school visits. The outcome was a 10 year Business Plan which will be refined and further shaped as we move through the project. The project ‘client group’ were very involved and the document went before Chapter for detailed comments before it was submitted to the HLF.

The budget deficit for 2019 as approved by Chapter is £164,935.

The meeting closed with prayer

Date of Next Meeting To be arranged.

Signed: ______Date: ______Dean of Newcastle

Date of Next Meeting Sunday 26th April 2020 in the Cathedral Refectory

6

ANNUAL REPORTS

From the Dean

We live in strange times – or as Dickens would have put it these are ‘the best of times and the worst.’ This set of annual reports refers to 2019., which as I write seems a long time ago. Looking back, even though we add last year’s date to Covid in its common use I think in 2019 we were all blissfully unaware of all that was ahead of us as the virus burst on the scenes. Of course, these reports were prepared in 2020 just as the now infamous lockdown began but like me you may find it hard to think yourself back. The world has literally changed around us and not all for the better. However, there is some good news for the Cathedral but that will be for next year’s reports which I think they will be significantly different. Important for us is to acknowledge all that happened in that heavenly pre Covid time of 2019. In the short reports that follow that is exactly what I hope we will be able to do, albeit as always somewhat inadequately.

During the year we were thrilled to welcome two new Residentiary Canon’s as was appointed of Northumberland and Peter Dobson joined us as canon for Outreach and Discipleship. We were also pleased to hear the announcement of Rob Saner-Haigh as Canon Director of Mission and Ministry. Already we are benefitting from their wisdom and work among us.

My colleagues (lay and ordained) and I were heavily committed in 2019 to the planning that was needed to start the refurbishment works and as we heard the news that we had been granted the heritage lottery grant the planning intensified to reach RIBA Stage 4 level and put the funding in place. All of this was while trying to ensure that the life of the Cathedral, its worship, outreach and daily life continued. It did - and remarkably still does. Much of what follows will spell out in slightly more detail lots of what happens day in day out to make our Cathedral work and I will not labour the point by stealing the ‘thunder’ of those who have contributed a report of their work. It’s important, however, that as I introduce these reports that I also place on record my immense gratitude to my colleagues. To Clare and Peter, Jean and Mark but also to other members of the ministry team, Katherine and Helen. To Kate and the back-up staff who are too many to mention by name (please forgive me!) we are all greatly indebted. They are a great team which is dedicated to the life and work of the cathedral way above what is demanded of them professionally. And, of course, then to a whole host of other folk – colleagues on Chapter, Council, Project Delivery Board, Music Association, Friends, College of Canon’s, Trust, Finance and Risk Ctt, Safeguarding Ctt, Bell ringers and of course our great Churchwardens the list goes on. Too often last but never least to the many volunteers seen and unseen, too many to mention by name or task I want you to know that you are the Cathedral and it is together that we carry the work allotted to us in this small but significant part of the kingdom of God.

Now I know I will have missed out some significant folk, I am sorry. But I want to finish by reminding myself (and perhaps others) that though my gratitude is important to record it is the knowing that we are privileged to share in God’s work is the gratitude that really counts. As we began to face the new year we were a community well aware that we were embarking on a new chapter in this Cathedral’s life and mission – a once in lifetime opportunity to secure the future. I was - still am – acutely aware that the refurbishment programme will be the single largest intervention since the one that began in 1773.

7 As the turn of the year we gathered for a Eucharist and to mark us being exiled to the Quire so as to allow the builders into the main nave. It was a moving service and we processed around the Cathedral as we prayed. Little did we know just how deep an exile we were to enter. Now we see, slowly but surely, the ‘new’ Cathedral emerging in all its dignity and beauty. My prayer is that we, as a community, will undergo a similar transformation, painful as it is, so that as 2020 moves to a close we will be able to look back and see how we have become a community ready, in the name of Christ, to be radically welcoming, inspired in worship and in all that we do empowering each other to know our worth in His presence and become who God has called us to be.

A tall order but in His strength, I know we can do it!

In Christ, Geoff Miller

Electoral Roll Report 2019/2020

In accordance with the requirements of the Synodical Government Measure 1969 an Electoral Roll for 2019/2020 had been prepared and exhibited for inspection in the Cathedral Office. Numbers will be given at the Annual General Meeting. There were 136 names on the Roll (93 households).

Ellie Robertson Electoral Roll Officer

From the Canon for Music and Liturgy

Even omitting all of the musical accomplishments which our Director of Music will outline, 2019 was an extremely busy year in the worshipping life of the Cathedral – and of the Canon for Music and Liturgy! The departure of Canon John Sinclair and Canon Steven Harvey and the arrival of the Venerable Mark Wroe and Canon Peter Dobson were great send-offs and celebrations, which punctuated a year in which we were significantly shorter staffed than usual. This was compounded by the loss of our Head Verger, Carys, just after Easter – a post which is not, for the time being, being filled.

The liturgical life of the Cathedral has continued apace, nevertheless, with a mixture of regular weekly worship, big “set piece” Diocesan, Civic and Festival services and an array of “one-off” acts of worship and events, which have required sensitivity, creativity and lots of planning.

 The “Liturgy of the Nails” – a rare female-composed C15th Spanish liturgy sung by our Schola Cantorum with translation from the Latin by Canon Clare also the cantor.  A eucharist with Bishop Christine and Ingeborg (from Norway) to mark the 25th Anniversary of the Ordination of Women as in the Church of .  Special services to mark Prisoners Week. Homelessness Sunday, World Aids Day, White Ribbon Day, Pride weekend and the 40th Anniversary of the fair trade pioneers, “Traidcraft” for which Canon Clare wrote a special hymn in celebration.

The number of “bespoke” Carol Services grew in 2019, with Canon Clare working closely with the planners to guide and advise. Regular prayer and social meetings for LGBT+ Christians continued to take place monthly, as did Night Church, with its small but dedicated team. Once again, the Walking Nativity grew in attendance as 100’s came to hear the familiar story, told in words and music as we processed through the busy city centre on the Friday before Christmas. This year it 8 was much bolstered by an enthusiastic team of volunteer stewards, recruited in partnership with our Volunteer Co-ordinator, Lucy.

Chapter’s shaping of the “Creating Common Ground in Sacred Space” programme involved Canon Clare in a plethora of meetings over the year – but also provided opportunities to influence decisions about sound, lighting and audio-visual facilities in the re-ordered Cathedral – as well as being closely involved in plans for our new liturgical furniture, and drawing up a Liturgical Statement for Chapter which will underpin the form and feel of our liturgy in hears to come. (Should this be made available).

Finally, what may not be so visible to the Cathedral Community is the “outreach” element of Canon Clare’s work, which has seen her, in 2019, delivering a day for those planning music for worship for Bamburgh & Glendale Deanery, training “Authorised Worship Leaders” in Kenton and in Humshaugh; devising and leading worship for the Bishop’s Study Day, and attending and contributing to various inter-faith events across the city.

Many thanks must go to Ellie for her administrative support – and Ian, Kris and Emily, the music department team, for being a great and gifted bunch to work with!

Canon Clare MacLaren Canon for Music and Liturgy

Report from the Canon for Outreach and Discipleship Having only been Installed at the Patronal Festival Eucharist, 7th December 2019, there is, in one sense, very little I can say about 2019 (and the twenty-five days of it I was able to share with you), and yet so much I would like to express!

The first and most important thing to say, is a huge thank you for the warm welcome both Matt and I have received, the kindnesses and cards, gifts and good wishes we received on arriving all helped to make us feel very much at home here very quickly. Our thanks again, to all those who made 7th December such a special day.

It has been a great joy to begin to get to know so many of you and I (we) look forward to much more of that in time to come. It has been especially good to get to know those who have been working hard to both continue and initiate pieces of work which I’m glad to be taking on responsibility for, those involved in safeguarding and the Towards a Safer Cathedral Group, as well as those who have begun to turn the dream of the Lantern Initiative into a reality.

You will find a separate safeguarding report later in these papers, but I wanted to take this opportunity to share where the beginnings of work to develop the Lantern Initiative have brought us to as we enter into 2020 and beyond. The Lantern Initiative will seek to help us live out more fully some of our Cathedral values, particularly in extending a radical welcome to all and in working to empower all who come to us, and one another, in our God-given worth. The Lantern Initiative will have a special focus on helping us as a Cathedral respond confidently and meaningfully to the vulnerabilities with which people so often come to us, as-well as helping us to reframe vulnerability as something that should not make us think less of people – we are all, at different times, and in different ways, vulnerable!

Our plans for the Lantern Initiative involve providing training for staff and volunteers in responding to those facing a range of challenges in life – loneliness, bereavement, homelessness, addiction and mental ill health to name just a few. We have been able to attract funding to provide a range of activities, open to all, helping to explore spirituality alongside new skills, interests and opportunities. We have been working hard to build relationships with charities and agencies 9 offering particular services across the City, so as not to duplicate effort but support one another and fill some of the gaps there might be. Funding has also been secured to support a full-time member of staff to lead the work of the Lantern Initiative for three years from early 2021 and also to partner in some work, based out of the Cathedral, with a charity seeking to create opportunities for ex-offenders in the region. Huge thanks are owed to the members of the Lantern Initiative Steering Group for all of their work in already achieving so much, a great foundation for us to now be building on!

In addition to the work around the Lantern Initiative, and the safeguarding responsibilities entrusted to me, I’m looking forward to the opportunities there are to compliment and grow all that is already offered in the life of the Cathedral to explore our faith and share it with others. I had set to planning a number of things for 2020 and a programme of interesting speakers, which (we know now) has not been possible! That said, the work is not lost and is (I hope) shaping up for an even more exciting programme of events to help us reflect and pray, and celebrate our place in this wonderful City for 2021!

Report from the Canon Pastor

Pastoral care is at the heart of all that we do as a Cathedral Community. This is not just about caring for the sick and housebound, important though they are, but it is also about knowing people better and supporting everyone who comes through our doors whatever brings them to us. To support this ministry I have recruited some new people onto the Pastoral Care Team, and trained some to take out Home Communions, though Home Communions sadly have not been possible for some time. We hope to be able to offer this ministry again in the not too distant future. Having support this past few months during lockdown and beyond, telephoning members, has been invaluable as we have tried to maintain our contact and care for all the community. Our Chaplaincy Team provide pastoral care during the week when we are open, and we look forward to welcoming them back when it becomes possible to open to the public again. I want to thank the pastoral care team and the chaplains for their ministry, which is voluntary, we are very appreciative of all that they offer. Jean Skinner Canon Pastor

Report on Safeguarding

Newcastle Cathedral is committed to: 1. The care, nurture of, and respectful pastoral ministry with, all children, young people and adults. 2. The safeguarding and protection of all children, young people and adults. 3. Being a safe and caring community which provides a loving environment where victims of abuse can report or disclose abuse and where they can find support and best practice that contributes to the prevention of abuse.

Early in 2019 the Chapter engaged the then Diocesan Safeguarding Advisor, Ruth Rogan, and Diocesan Safeguarding Training Officer, Linda Hunter, to lead an Independent Safeguarding Review in preparation for the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) Audit later in the year. Following the Safeguarding Review the Cathedral’s Towards a Safer Church (TASC) Group, together with Chapter, implemented a number of recommendations relating to the update of personnel files and safeguarding training records.

10 The SCIE Audit, commissioned for all Cathedrals by the ’s National Safeguarding Team, took place in May 2019. Thanks are owed to Canon Steven Harvey, Kate Sussams and members of the TASC Group for their significant and thorough work to prepare for the Audit. A draft report was reviewed by Chapter in June and the final audit report was received in July. The report was affirming of much of the Cathedral’s safeguarding practice and procedures, and was particularly complimentary of the efforts of the Music Department to safeguard our choristers. The recommendations of the Audit were subsequently distilled into an Action Plan which is monitored by Chapter each month. The report can be found on the Cathedral website, as can the Action Plan, which is updated monthly.

In 2019 Canon Steven Harvey, who acted as the Cathedral Safeguarding Officer (CSO), retired. In the interim, The Dean took on the responsibilities of Acting CSO and Chapter Lead, alongside Gill Lawrence, Deputy CSO. Following his installation, 6th December 2019, the CSO role has been taken on by Canon Peter Dobson.

The TASC Group met regularly during the course of the year and was formally made a sub- committee of Chapter. In addition to the work undertaken above, the group also gave consideration to it’s Terms of Reference and membership, considered safety and security issues, and responded to queries from members of the Cathedral congregations.

Canon Peter Dobon CSA

Report on the Community Forum Community Forum Standing Committee

Three meetings of the Community Forum were held in 2019 with the Dean in the Chair. Reports will be given as and when to the Community Forum regarding the CGISS Project.

The work would Commence January 2020 and be completed by Easter 2021.

It was also decided that the meetings next year would also include short Sunday briefings with the congregation to keep them up to speed with all the works as they take place (usually to take place during coffee following the Sunday morning Eucharist).

The new Archdeacon of Northumberland, the Venerable Mark Wroe and the Canon for Ministry, Canon Peter Dobson had both been appointed and installed during the year.

December was extremely busy and all special services and all services, events and concerts had been well received.

Ellie Robertson Secretary

Report on the Deanery Synod

In June 2019, the Synod met at St Nicholas, Gosforth and heard from the Dean on the Cathedral and the Archdeacon of Northumberland (on behalf of the Reverend Ben Doolan) on the Resources Church, which is based at St Thomas’s Church in the Haymarket. Both were asked a number of questions linked to the kingdom of God and the mission of the church, and replies covered how the kingdom might be realized in the communities based at these two places and more widely in the city and in the diocese, what developments might take place in the future and how they worked together with various partners. The 11 meeting also heard a report on the February 2019 session of General Synod and on the diocesan finances.

The meeting planned for September was cancelled so it was November when the Synod met again, at St Hilda’s Jesmond. After reports on the July 2019 session of General Synod, on proceedings at our Diocesan Synod and on the Parish Share allocation for 2020, we moved into a time of ‘exploring where we are together’. This was designed to enable us to get to know each other better – both individual members of Synod and the church communities that we represent. Sitting in a circle (rather than the usual rows), we responded to a range of questions, beginning with personal questions about our birthplaces, our work and our faith journeys, then questions about our churches and our roles within then, finishing with questions about their mission and ministry, about out hopes and concerns, about what we were doing and what we would like to do. Most, if not all, of those present went away feeling that we had learned much about other people and other churches, opening up possibilities for further dialogue, sharing of ideas and supporting one another in prayer and in practical ways. The meeting was the final one in which we were led by the Reverend Catherine MacPherson, who has been serving as Acting Area Dean.

In December the Reverend Jane Nattrass was licensed both as Vicar of St Nicholas Gosforth and as Area Dean of Newcastle Central Deanery. We welcomed her to her first Synod meeting in February, when we met at Holy Trinity, Jesmond. Jane opened the meeting by offering us some thoughts about the conduct of meetings within a Christian community. Once practical business had been dealt with, we then moved into thinking about plans for the future. We were shown a short video taken from Newcastle City website which gave a view of the city and its people, its history and its future, as somewhere to believe in, love and be proud of, people with big ideas, a place that is growing, changing and investing in the future and then shown it again, with the word ‘city’ replaced with ‘church’. Thinking about what gifts we all brought to the synod, we were asked to consider what the Synod had done in the past two years and what it could do in the future. Much of what emerged revolved around knowing one another better, and supporting one another and working together in the future.

At the February meeting, we were also encouraged to make sure that we shared with our and congregations the work of the Synod so, if anyone would like to know more, please do ask. We were also asked to encourage people to stand for election to the Synod, so please consider whether this work is something that you could be a part of. Much of the Synod’s formal business is not directly relevant to us as a Cathedral but it is important that we are represented and seen to be a part of, and contributing to, this wider church. Katherine Govier

Report from the Churchwardens

At the Cathedral’s Annual Meeting held in April 2019 Sandra Hood retired as Churchwarden after a number of years of loyal service. My thanks to her for all she has done during that time. In the preceding year we were a group of four Wardens, but no deputy or assistant wardens, so that two of us were on duty on alternate Sundays. In many ways this was hard work!

12 I had thought that if we had a larger team of Wardens, the pressure would be eased on us all. Some months before April 2019 I made an appeal to the Cathedral congregation to ask for five volunteers to act as Assistant Wardens, so that we would have a team of eight, meaning that each of us would be needed for duty for only one Sunday each month. I am pleased to say that within hours of that appeal four volunteers has come forward – Vicki Pickering, Arthur Perkins, David Dunscombe and Alison Malcolm – and at Choral Evensong that same day Leila McDermott asked to volunteer. During the following week Christine Hawkins also put her name forward. I was therefore delighted to welcome six new Assistant Wardens to the team.

All nine of us met on one Saturday morning shortly after the Annual Meeting to go through the Wardens’ Sunday duties. To start with, one of the existing ‘team’ of Wardens – Gavin Scott, Christopher Malcolm, and myself – had paired up with our newcomers, to ensure that everyone learnt the ropes, so to speak, and quickly became confident and comfortable with carrying out the role of a Cathedral Warden. Since April 2019 the whole team has worked extremely well together, and we have even had some laughs along the way!

Can I extend my personal thanks to all eight of my colleagues for the time and energy they all put in to undertaking the duties of Cathedral Wardens. Being a Warden is not always easy, particularly with the regular number of visitors who will casually stroll into the Cathedral during the morning service without realising that worship is in progress. Your contributions have meant that we are all able to feel less pressured, and when not on duty can now come to the Cathedral on a Sunday to partake fully in the service.

Since April this year we have obviously not been able to attend the Cathedral, but when we can, I am sure the Wardens will be on hand to assist and ensure that things progress as smoothly as possible. Timothy Wigglesworth

Report on the Common Ground in Sacred Space project

 March: Major grant award of £4.2m announced by The National Lottery Heritage Fund  May: After we gain permission to start up the project again, the Design Team reconvenes to develop detailed design for the re-modelling of the nave floor and associated underfloor heating, the redevelopment of the basement of Cathedral Hall and the landscaping of the churchyards. Over the next four months, Cathedral staff engage in a whole range of design decisions relating, for example, to parking control, lighting circuits, planting schemes, outdoor trails, access routes, retail, website design, conservation and so on.  August: we appoint new project staff - Rachael Rickwood as Learning and Activities Officer and Lucy Cooke as Volunteer Coordinator  September: we appoint an interpretation consultancy to take forward the heritage interpretation scheme. Over the next few months, designs are drawn up which, through word, image, sound and lighting, will introduce visitors to the Cathedral’s history and people stories. 13  October: we offer free art and heritage workshops to schools on and off site. More volunteers are recruited as welcomers and over the next six months, ten university students take up project placements with us.  November: we go out to tender for the capital works contractor and appoint Historic Property Restoration to start the capital works in January 2020. The pews are offered for sale to the congregation and Cathedral supporters.  December: The Dean hosts a thank you dinner for the project’s funders in the nave. We also hold a small business event for our neighbours to showcase the project and the Cathedral hosts a NE1 Christmas Business Breakfast for sixty guests.

2020  January sees the storage of the nave’s loose furniture and the removal of all the pews. All pews find good homes, including at the Royal Grammar School, Dame Allen School, Central Station and the Old Post Office building.  The west end, as far as the crossing, is screened off and capital works begin. The east end remains open to visitors.  February: The Cathedral Fabric Commission (England) visit us to advise on proposed new nave lighting, sample stone for the nave floor, audio-visual coordination and the design concept for our interpretation. The Cathedral’s new website is launched.  March: a schools’ exhibition, Colourful Characters, is mounted in the south quire aisle and becomes a major display on the hoardings which surround the Cathedral grounds.  Owing to COVID-19, the Cathedral closes to the public and staff begin working from home. The contractor continues on site, stripping out asbestos in the basement of Cathedral Hall.

Lindy Gilliland CGISS Project Manager

Report on Marketing and Communications

2019 has been a particularly significant year for and consequently its marketing and communications function. As the Cathedral’s Marketing and Communications Manager, Catherine Mair is incredibly grateful for continued external funding from the Newcastle Cathedral Trust and from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, which has again allowed her to work at a strategic level over the last 12 months. The most notable milestone of the year was the Cathedral’s success in securing a multi-million pound grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. This paved the way to undertake two significant marketing and communications initiatives, which would otherwise not have been possible:

1. A New Website for Newcastle Cathedral During May and June, we sought to appoint a contractor to design, build, deliver and support a new website to reflect the Cathedral’s vision and our ambitious heritage project, 14 Common Ground in Sacred Space (CGISS). Three companies most closely matching the brief were invited to discuss their tender return in July. The contract was awarded to Gateshead-based Digital Allies. Their experience of website design, their understanding of target audiences and search engine optimisation and the processes involved in creating a fully functioning and optimised website suitable for the Cathedral’s varied stakeholder groups were excellent. They had clear ideas for making the Cathedral’s website a distinctive, interesting, exciting and user friendly experience and provide a more welcoming, informative and attractive face for Newcastle Cathedral. Digital Allies began planning the creation and construction of the new website in August with a target completion and launch date of mid-February 2020.

2. Newcastle Cathedral’s Wayfinding and Creative Marketing Project During the same period, we also sought to appoint a contractor to provide creative marketing and wayfinding solutions to embody and encapsulate our vision and CGISS project. Three companies most closely matching the brief were invited to discuss their tender return in August. The contract was awarded to Newcastle-based Infinite Design. Their clearly articulated pitch, creative flair, understanding of the Cathedral’s current situation and desired positioning, experience and expertise in creating innovative and interruptive marketing campaigns and delivering effective wayfinding schemes were excellent. They had clear, well considered ideas for making the Cathedral’s offer as a visitor destination distinctive, attractive and compelling in a competitive heritage marketplace. Added value was apparent in their track record and enhanced offer through the digital marketing arm of their organisation which gave confidence that not only would the creative marketing and wayfinding be joined up and cohesive but that their outputs would synergise with the newly appointed website agency and any appointed interpretation consultants. Infinite Design’s three year contract began in the autumn and they will continue working closely with the Cathedral’s Marketing and Communications Manager and the CGISS Project Manager, Lindy Gilliland, during the project capital works, pre- launch, launch, and post-launch.

Other Marketing and Communications Highlights Press Releases In May, The National Lottery Heritage Fund success story dominated, both locally and nationally, across all media channels. Other noteworthy stories that made the headlines included:  Newcastle Cathedral’s women’s choir, Schola Cantorum, singing a medieval worship service that had not been heard in public for almost 600 years. The Liturgy of the Nails, was a collaboration between the Cathedral and Professor Lesley Twomey, Professor in Medieval and Golden Age Hispanic Art and Literature at Northumbria University, and was performed at the Cathedral in March to celebrate International Womens’ Day.

 ‘An Evening of Peace and Unity after the New Zealand massacre’ service hosted by Newcastle Cathedral and the in March to remember all victims of the Christchurch massacre and to stand in solidarity with our Muslim brothers and sisters. The service was attended by The Lord Mayor of Newcastle, David Down, Leader of the Council, Nick Forbes, and many community faith leaders including Imam Abdul Basit and Taj Khan from Newcastle Central Mosque.

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 The announcement in August that The Revd Peter Dobson was to become Canon for Outreach and Discipleship at the Cathedral. Peter was installed at the Cathedral in December, becoming the second Canon Residentiary and began working alongside the Dean, the Canon for Music and Liturgy and all other members of the Cathedral staff.  ‘AiR at the Cathedral’ which featured for a second year running in August and September. The exhibition, organised by Newcastle based not for profit Community Interest Company, Artists in Recovery, showcased dozens of pieces of work by 13 artists who were all recovering from addiction to drugs or alcohol. The art, which included painting, illustration, photography, sculpture and mixed media pieces, was spread throughout the Cathedral, inviting people to walk through the building and consider the work in our serene and beautiful setting.

 The Cathedral’s participation in Merchant Quarter Revival: Bakers, Makers and Shakers. The free to attend festival, held as part of Heritage Open Days, was a collaboration between teams from NE1 Ltd (Newcastle’s business improvement district company), Newcastle Castle and the Cathedral. The aim was to attract new audiences to the city’s historic heart to discover and enjoy a bustling market, pop-up food stalls, music and performances, free walking tours and the rare chance to climb the 162 steps of our lantern tower to sample the breath-taking views of the city from the top. PR Activity and Editorial A number of CGISS project-focused blog posts featured on our website, the Diocesan website, in Cathedral Notes, Diocesan e-bulletin, and in The Link’s View from The Lantern column. We also had stories featured in Remember Media’s NE1 magazine and Luxe Loves e-bulletin, and by Reach PLC, publisher of the Newcastle Chronicle, Journal and Sunday Sun. Stories of the Cathedral and key heritage messages associated with the CGISS project continued to feature regularly in David Morton’s Nostalgia column (Chronicle and Journal). Topics included: ‘Fantastic Beasts and where to find them’; Caroline Townshend; Ralph Hedley; ‘Bodies, bodysnatching and early surgeons’; Thomlinson and Avison; and ‘12 Fascinating Facts about St Nicholas’.

Digital Communications During 2019 we continued to make good progress in developing our digital marketing output via social media and email communications, with an increase in reach (the number of people who see our content) and engagement (the number of people who interact with us) across all our digital channels.

Report on Lay Intercessors

We currently have 12 people on the rota for leading intercessions at the Sunday Eucharist, and at services for major festivals, giving us a wide variety of voices, styles and insights. Our thanks are due to everyone involved for their hard work in preparing and delivering this important part of our worship. There have still been some issues with microphones and 16 audibility but I hope that, in our current situation in the chancel, everyone is able to hear clearly and pray with those leading our prayers.

If you would like to be involved in this ministry, or have any comments in general, please speak either with Canon Clare or myself.

Katherine Govier

Report from the Director of Music

In many ways 2019 seemed like a quiet year, but briefly thinking back (it does seem like a very long time ago now), these are probably things worth mentioning.

 Daily Choral Services and music for all the festivals of the year, plus various' extra events':  Concert of French Music (Faure Requiem and works by Poulenc),  a full performance of Handel's Messiah with the Cathedral Choir and professional period instrumentalists of St Nicholas Baroque,  'Chorister Camp stays at home' - a late summer week of rehearsals and fun social activities funded by the Cathedral Choirs' Association,  Last Night of the Proms with the Cathedral Choir and Dunston Silver Band,  The Cathedral Christmas Extravaganza featuring the Cathedral Choir and the New Tyneside Orchestra,  a night of Carols at the Castle.

 We began 2 new singing groups: ChoriStarters for children from Year 2, and The Cathedral Youth Choir, directed by Kris Thomsett.  We continued to work with around 25 local primary schools, undertaking 6 week long projects with a number of them.  The Friends of St Nicholas provided us with a second generous grant which enabled us to modernise the 'Swell stop action' on the Cathedral Organ. This has made the organ significantly more reliable. The organ was enjoyed on every Monday of the year in the recital series.

Ian Roberts Director of Music

Report from the Servers

Despite our reduced numbers, we still manage to provide Altar Servers for all the Services at the Cathedral. We have a total of seven servers and, at times, we do find ourselves over stretched.

Never the less we do have a steady commitment from our young girls Kasie and Soochi who serve every Sunday morning without fail. Their commitment is priceless. Dave Railston and myself cover Evenson and Ken, Heather and myself cover the other services.

17 It is important to understand that our small band cover the Cathedral Services for all 52 weeks of the year without a break and so it involves a commitment on a weekly basis by all of the Servers.

Giles C. Hunter

Report from the Cathedral Bell ringers

In addition to the normal Cathedral services the bells continue to be rung for a number of special services and national occasions, the details of some of which are given below. On the 18th April, in response to the Archbishop’s request, the Bourbon Bell (know as Major) was tolled for seven minutes in “Solidarity with the people of France and Notre Dame”. A quarter peal was rung on the 26th of May for the service for the admission and Commissioning of the Dean as County Chaplain for the most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem. As part of commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the D-Day Landings a quarter peal was rung on the 6th of June. The bells rang on 9th of June to celebrate the start of the Blaydon Race. Quarter peals were rung on 11th of November following the Service of Remembrance held on Cathedral Square and again prior to the service to mark “White Ribbon Day” on 24th of November. Also, earlier this year on the 2nd of February a quarter peal was rung for Candlemas and to celebrate the 68th anniversary of the accession of Her Majesty the Queen.

There have been full peals rung by local and visiting bands including the Ancient Society of College Youths in July, the Society of Royal Cumberland Youths in November and a band from the Yorkshire Association of Change ringers who rang a peal for the Patronal Festival on the 7th of December.

Regular practices have been held every Tuesday evening with the standard methods being rung on 8 and 10 bells by both cathedral and visiting ringers. The third Tuesday in the month is help as an advanced practice for 12 bell ringing and this continues to be supported by ringers from Sunderland, Lanchester, Durham and as far as Berwick on Tweed.

The ringers wish to record their appreciation of the arrangements that have been made by the Cathedral staff to make access available to the tower for service ringing and practice nights during the ongoing work in the Cathedral nave.

Stephen B. Bell, Ringing Master

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Report on the Flower Fellowship

2019 was the year in which it was decided to disband the Cathedral’s Flower Fellowship and explore new ways of organizing the flower arranging for Sundays and festivals.

A huge debt of thanks is owed to Mrs Margaret Vickers, the retiring Chair of the group who has been a member for 50 years and who, together with Mrs Kath Gibson has been “keeping the show on the road” almost single handedly in the past couple of years.

We are immensely grateful to members of the Northumberland Association of Flower Arranging Societies, Mrs Pat Halliday, Mrs Rosemary Cuthbertson and Mrs Pat Black who have offered to work with Canon Clare and Ms Ellie Robertson to do the flowers on a regular basis, with additional support from other members of the congregation at Easter and Christmas.

If any of the Cathedral Community would enjoy contributing to the beauty of our worship, and the welcome of our building in this way – even on an occasional basis – we would be delighted to hear from you!

Canon Clare

Report on Newcastle City Centre Churches Together

A lack of capacity has meant that the Newcastle City Centre Churches Together Group has not been able to run any events this year but a small group of us have continued to meet, to share fellowship and news of our own churches, and think about how we can promote working together. Our group has been joined by the Reverend Mike Hills, the new Vicar of St Andrew and City Centre Chaplain. The work of the chaplaincy continues and is an important part of the ministry offered in the city, seeking to meet people where they are in their lives and help them face the challenges of what can be increasingly pressured workplaces. We also welcomed the new pastor at Northern Lights MCC, Ronnie Rowbothan, who brings a great deal of experience and enthusiasm. Efforts have been made to re-establish networks, such as the regular clergy breakfast meetings, and to ensure that we are in contact with all churches within the city. We are also looking at possible events in the future that might bring us together to celebrate both our diversity and our common calling to proclaim and live the faith we share.

Katherine Govier Chair.

Report on the Finances (See overleaf)

19 Cathedral Church of St Nicholas Budget 2019 Actual 2019 Variance

Management Accounts: 2019 Income Expenditure Surplus / (Deficit) Income Expenditure Surplus / (Deficit) Suplus/(Deficit) A Core Activities: £ £ £ £ £ £ £ Mission & Ministry: 1 Collections 106,750 106,750 94,184 94,184 (12,566) 2 Donations 3,900 3,900 11,961 11,961 8,061 3 Fees & Charges 4,700 4,700 7,942 7,942 3,242 4 Grants 239,799 239,799 292,314 292,314 52,515 5 Mission & Ministry (58,790) (58,790) (50,717) (50,717) 8,073 Total Mission & Ministry 355,149 (58,790) 296,359 406,401 (50,717) 355,684 59,325 6 Bookstall Sales 1,200 (400) 800 569 (332) 237 (563) 7 Music 35,300 (164,975) (129,675) 47,717 (171,422) (123,705) 5,970 8 Clergy Expenses (5,886) (5,886) (13,267) (13,267) (7,381) 9 Clergy Housing (13,890) (13,890) (15,708) (15,708) (1,818) 10 Vergers & Sacristy (62,833) (62,833) (61,567) (61,567) 1,266 11 Fabric (96,712) (96,712) (88,460) (88,460) 8,252 Total Bookstall/Music/Clergy/Vergers/Fabric 36,500 (344,696) (308,196) 48,286 (350,756) (302,470) 5,726 12 Mosley Street 51,000 (19,800) 31,200 49,448 (17,831) 31,617 417 Total Investment Property 51,000 (19,800) 31,200 49,448 (17,831) 31,617 417 13 Investments (Share Portfolio) 40,000 40,000 41,856 41,856 1,856 A Operating Surplus / (Deficit) 482,649 (423,286) 59,363 545,991 (419,304) 126,687 67,324

B Trading Contributions: 14 Catering 0 (2,300) (2,300) (2,203) (2,203) 97 Total Catering income 0 (2,300) (2,300) 0 (2,203) (2,203) 97 15 Events & Hire 13,000 (1,000) 12,000 19,480 (843) 18,637 6,637 B Trading Contribution 13,000 (3,300) 9,700 19,480 (3,046) 16,434 6,734

C Surplus / (Deficit) Before Overheads 495,649 (426,586) 69,063 565,471 (422,350) 143,121 74,058

D Overheads: 16 Administration (171,700) (171,700) (198,240) (198,240) (26,540) 17 Finance (31,500) (31,500) (30,819) (30,819) 681 D Total Overheads (203,200) (203,200) (229,059) (229,059) (25,859)

E Extraordinary Activities 18 CGISS Stage 2 - Delivery 354,834 (354,834) 0 0 E Underlying Operating Surplus / (Deficit) 495,649 (629,786) (134,137) 565,471 (651,409) (85,938) 48,199

18 Depreciation (20,798) (20,798) (20,798) (20,798) 0 19 Contingency (10,000) (10,000) 0 0 10,000 F NET Surplus / (Deficit) 495,649 (660,584) (164,935) 565,471 (672,207) (106,736) 58,199

Capital Receipts

Capital Receipts Legacies - Restricted Legacies - Unrestricted 10,000 G Total Legacies 10,000

Financial Report for year ended 31st December 2019

The table provides a summary of the financial performance for 2019 including the Budget approved by the Finance Committee and the Chapter. The main sources of income are: Collections, individual donations and gift aid, Fees and Charges, Grants, Music concerts and Hire. Total income for 2019 amounted £920,305 (£956,806 for 2018) a decrease of £36,501 (3.97%) compared with 2018. The main areas of expenditure are: Mission and Ministry, Music, Clergy expenses, Vergers and Sacristy, Fabric, Administration and Finance, CGISS project. Total expenditure for 2019 amounted to £1,027,041 (£735,905 for 2018) an increase of £291,136 (39.57%). The operational loss was better than the budgeted loss - £106,736 compared to £164,935 and better than Business Plan loss of £141,560.

Some items to note in the 2019 accounts:

Line 1 Collections income - this has fallen by over £12,566 to a total of £94,184 against a budget of £106,750. Line 2 Donations income increased by £8,061. Line 3 Fees & Charges - this includes income from the weddings, funerals and printing order of service sheets. Line 4 Grants - this includes Grants from Church Commissioners, Diocese, All Churches Trust, Newcastle Trust and Churchlands. Line 5 Mission & Ministry spend - £50,717 - this includes items such as Parish Share, Night Church, Messy Cathedral, Hospitality, Flowers, Publicity and Printing costs for the service sheets. Line 6 Income received for the Bookstall of £569 against the expenditure of £332 bringing the profit of £237. Line 7 Music income of £47,717 received for the Concerts and carols, Grants to support chorister singing lessons and part-fund the cost of the additional Choral Scholars against the expenditure of £171,422. Line 8 Clergy expenses spend - £13,267 - this includes Ressetlement & Removal Grants, Conferences and travel costs. The Church Commisioners grant received covers the overspend costs in this category. Line 9 Clergy Housing spend - £15,708. Line 10 Vergers & Sacristy - this includes spend on staff wages, candles, wine and bread. Line 11 Fabric - £88,460 - this includes spend on electrical, fire and security systems, maintenance of the Cathedral, Lifts maintenance, utilities and insurance. Line 12 Mosley Street income of £49,448 received for renting out the space in the Cathedral House, service charge cost of £17,831. Line 13 Investment Share portfolio brought income of £41,856. Line 15 Events and Hire - this category shows an increase in income - £19,480 against a budget of £13,000. Line 16 Administration - this includes spend on staff wages, IT Support and office expenses. Line 17 Finance - £30,819 - this includes spend on the Audit fees, Cathedral Archaeologist, Architects and the fee to manage the investment portfolio. Line 18 CGISS - Income received from HLF and Newcastle Trust against the expenditure on this project.

Investments The total market value of our investments at the end of the year was £1,966,965 compared with £1,950,858 in 2018. Unrestricted reserves at 31 December 2019 are £888,393 held in General Fund, the rest £1,078,572 held in Endowment Fund.

The Challenges Our operational income, whilst in exess of the budgeted income, is still not enouth to cover our expenditure. We continue to make operational losses. We must seek the alternative ways of increasing the Cathedral's income streams. Neringa Baguckiene Finance Manager