Jobs at risk as Chichester Cathedral makes difficult decisions including possible permanent closure of café

Chichester Cathedral’s popular café looks set to close permanently due to the impact of the coronavirus lockdown.
The pandemic has presented ‘unforeseen challenges’ for the cathedral which is ‘entirely financially independent’. Photo: Ash MillsThe pandemic has presented ‘unforeseen challenges’ for the cathedral which is ‘entirely financially independent’. Photo: Ash Mills
The pandemic has presented ‘unforeseen challenges’ for the cathedral which is ‘entirely financially independent’. Photo: Ash Mills

The pandemic has presented ‘unforeseen challenges’ for the cathedral which is ‘entirely financially independent’. 

Despite revealing plans to open its doors on June 15 for ‘private prayer and reflection’ — following guidance from the Government for churches from the Church of England — the cathedral has announced plans for significant changes, with a six-week consultation phase set to begin with staff members. 

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“We have made the difficult decision to propose that we do not re-open the café once lockdown is eased,” read the statement, from The Very Reverend Stephen Waine, the Dean of Chichester, and communar and executive director David Coulthard, 

Chichester Cathedral said the closure of the café and the ability to provide catering will also impact on its events. Photo: Ash MillsChichester Cathedral said the closure of the café and the ability to provide catering will also impact on its events. Photo: Ash Mills
Chichester Cathedral said the closure of the café and the ability to provide catering will also impact on its events. Photo: Ash Mills

“The café makes a modest profit in a good year with the better summer months subsidising the winter months.

“We would be unlikely to reopen, at the earliest, until part way through the summer, and our customer numbers would be significantly reduced for many months, resulting in significant financial loss.”

Chichester Cathedral said the permanent closure of the café and the ability to provide catering will also impact on its events.

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The statement added: “We are proposing that we do not re-open the shop until the cathedral is able to accept a significant volume of visitors and social distancing is relaxed which we do not envisage is likely to happen before late in the year at the earliest.

The cathedral said it also made the ‘difficult decision’ to propose that we ‘cease the current work’ of the learning and engagement team. Photo: Ash MillsThe cathedral said it also made the ‘difficult decision’ to propose that we ‘cease the current work’ of the learning and engagement team. Photo: Ash Mills
The cathedral said it also made the ‘difficult decision’ to propose that we ‘cease the current work’ of the learning and engagement team. Photo: Ash Mills

“When the time is right, the shop will be re-opened and re-located into the cathedral.

“There will be an impact on our office team as a simpler approach to the delivery of our commercial activities (café, events, hospitality and retail) will be required.”

The cathedral said it also made the ‘difficult decision’ to propose that we ‘cease the current work’ of the learning and engagement team.

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The statement said it was also unlikely that the cathedral will be able to welcome school visits ‘in the foreseeable future’, due to restricted school budgets and the challenge of social distancing in transportation.

“We are telling you this because you play a vital part in the cathedral community,” the statement continued. “We want you to know what is happening at your cathedral.

“We recognise that these are very difficult times for everyone involved and we want to assure you that we are working closely with the individuals affected by these changes, and offering support.”

The cathedral said it welcomed the Government’s Job Retention Scheme, and has been grateful for the financial support that it and other schemes have provided, but said it will still be left with lower annual income to work in years to come ‘with which to deliver its mission’.

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The statement added: “We have all come to realise that life after lockdown is likely to be very different and that there will be a ‘new normal’ for many months to come.

“Despite [financial] support, and having halted all but essential expenditure within this period of lockdown, we forecast that in this year and next the cathedral will expend a lot of its reserves – well over £1m across its funds – as a direct result of lost income caused by the pandemic.

“As a result, we believe it is right to propose changes. Our reflections on what should come next have been based on both our financial outlook and the need to refocus our priorities to meet the challenges of the future.”

The cathedral said the decision have been ‘difficult to take’, especially because they will ‘directly impact on several of our colleagues’.

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“[It will also] indirectly impact on us all in our small close-knit community.

“We have not taken them lightly but we do think they are in the best interests of the cathedral and its mission in the long term.”

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