Peterborough Cathedral has announced the opening of a new cafe offering a “welcome space” for visitors and a new source of income for the cathedral.
Peterborough Cathedral Announces Opening of a New Cafe
It will be operated by external partners with the cathedral receiving income through the commercial arrangement as part of its long-term sustainability strategy.
Last year, Peterborough Cathedral launched a ‘Cathedral in Crisis‘ fundraising campaign raising over £300,000 in three months which has been used for essential repairs to parts of the Grade I listed building and to support its musical legacy by introducing a new cohort of choristers.
The cathedral’s chief operating officer, Jack Pishhorn, said the cafe would “make a positive contribution to the cathedral’s income” by increasing visitor spend and encouraging people to spend more time on site but said the cathedral continued to face financial pressures.
The team has launched a long term sustainability strategy that includes developing new income streams, such as the café, expanding the events programme, increasing fundraising and grant income, and improving operational sustainability.
Currently, the cathedral is home to the Natural History Museum’s Titanosaur – the largest known dinosaur ever to walk the Earth and earlier this year it welcomed Luke Jerram’s Helios, a seven metre installation of the sun.
Jack Pishhorn described the dinosaur’s arrival, as part of the ticketed experience, as a “landmark” moment.
“It represents a real shift in how we’re thinking about the cathedral’s future, as a place where world-class exhibitions and experiences can sit alongside our historic setting,” he added.
All our cathedrals face financial constraints especially now with rising energy and wages bills.
Smaller cathedrals can cost up to £3,000 a day simply to open their doors while larger cathedrals such as Canterbury to York Minster cost around £30,000 a day.
The Cathedrals receive limited funding from the Church and Government and rely on donations, legacies and grants as well as the income they can generate for themselves – and yet they include UNESCO World Heritage sites, many are Grade 1 listed, and they are home to the tombs of kings, queens and princes and hold the shrines of saints.
A spokesperson for Peterborough said it continued to face financial pressures, adding that it costs about £5 per minute to remain open, with a current funding gap of around £1,600 per day.
Titanosaur – the most complete giant dinosaur ever discovered is on loan from London’s Natural History Museum. It is approximately 37 metres long and 6 metres tall and can be encountered in the cathedral until the end of May.
