The Dean of Bradford, the Very Revd Andy Bowerman will travel to the United Arab Emirates next week to take part in this year’s TriYAS Triathlon – his first ever triathlon.
Dean of Bradford in triathlon to raise funds to support Bradford Cathedral in its City of Culture year.
The triathlon will see Dean Andy swim 1.5km, cycle 40km and finally run 10km to raise funds to help support Bradford Cathedral, the city’s oldest building during its City of Culture year.
It costs almost £3k a day to run Bradford Cathedral and with no regular funding from the Government, and limited funding from the Church Commissioners, our cathedrals survive or fall by their ability to find creative ways and partnerships to generate the income needed to fund, not just operational costs, but also the huge costs of repair and maintenance.
The day-to-night triathlon, now in its fifteenth year, takes place on Saturday 8th February 2025 at the Yas Marina Circuit.
It bills itself as ‘a community where every participant, from kids to adults, first-timers to pros, and individuals to teams, finds their place.’
Dean Andy, before returning to Bradford in 2022, was based in Dubai, working with the Mission to Seafarers from 2018.
The Very Revd Andy Bowerman, Dean of Bradford, said:
“I’ve not run since I had a knee replacement in 2018 and my busy schedule as Dean has kept me away from the training track. But I’ve been busy preparing for the triathlon over the last few months, including running a weekly parkrun at Lister Park.
“The TriYAS 2025 triathlon will be a big challenge, but I’m looking forward to it, and I will be greatly spurred on by your support.
“All the money raised will help support the amazing work of Bradford Cathedral in this exciting City of Culture year – and beyond.”
Liz Purchase, Head of Fundraising at Bradford Cathedral, says:
“Bradford Cathedral is at the heart of the city’s fascinating history and its people; it is a place of inspiration and peace, and an important asset for Bradford, but it costs over £2,850 a day to run.
“As well as conserving our beautiful building, we want to continue our amazing education and music work supporting children and young people from across the city, and welcome visitors from across the world.
“Our ‘Dean Andy Dares!’ campaign is a fantastic opportunity for people to support and help ensure the Cathedral, Bradford’s oldest buildings, has a future.”
To donate to this cause just click here.
