Friday 25 December 2009

Cathedral authorities in a bid to improve community facilities

A councillor confirmed the cathedral authorities will have council's full support for its refurbishing arrangement and praised its outreach projects such as helping young people to fulfil their potential.

Eddingham Cathedral authorities was in a bid to gain £4million from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for its first step refurbishment as well as the services it will offer to the community.

Councillor Mrs Olive Marchant from Eddingham Council cabinet member for education said: “The cathedral authorities will have our full support in developing and extending their outreach projects. The Wilberforce Centre has a supremely dedicated team of workers who have already done great deal to help young people outside mainstream education.”

The amount of expenses used to the community improvement depends directly on the fabric of the building.

Disenchanted or alienated youngsters acted as vandals to attack the building frequently.

On Friday nigh a gang of four youths pushed in a 1920s stained glass window so it shattered on the cathedral floor.

This latest incident, which will cost the authorities more than 2,000 to put it right, is only one of a number that have occurred over the past few weeks.

The authorities believe such youngsters need the right encouragement to become good citizens, which is one of the objectives of their outreach initiative based at the Wilberforce Centre in Smythe Street, Eddingham.

The Cathedral have submitted a bid to the HLF for £100, 000 with which they plan to kick-off the major revamp.

The Fund has already awarded £3.3billion to projects that open up the nation's heritage for everyone to enjoy.

Rev Nigel Bankes, director of the Wilberforce Centre said: “We have already made various attempts to establish worthwhile contacts with some of the young people who gather in the cathedral precinct but a more concerted effort is required, backed up by improved facilities at the centre. We hope these will come with the Lottery Fund project.”

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(Completion time: 62 min)

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