How Blackburn Cathedral's breaking the mould to boost income

This comes as the National Churches Trust launch a six-point plan to save the UK’s churches.

The trust described its Every Church Counts plan as tackling “the single biggest heritage challenge facing the UK” warning there are now more than 900 places of worship on the Historic England heritage at-risk register, with 53 more added to the list in 2023.

The Very Reverend Peter Howell-Jones with Cathedra gin (Image: NQ)It warned that more could end up having to shut their doors if action is not taken, “putting at risk nationally significant heritage”.

The trust has called for more public funding, said churches should open seven day a week where possible with their use extended to include more community support services and for a strategy to be set out to increase tourism to historic churches.

Blackburn Cathedral is already a ‘pioneer’ for these proposed changes it has been used as a site for exhibitions, events and live music for more than 18 months.

Silent discos, Abba tribute acts are some of the events it has hosted in the past, in order to generate an income for the cathedral and also encourage more people to visit.

The next event in the calendar is a silent disco, which is set to take place on February 9, from 8pm

In 2018 it even launched its own gin, called Cathedra.

Blackburn Cathedral (Image: NQ)The Very Reverend Peter Howell-Jones said: “I think the issues they are talking about are really important. Financial viability and sustainability is critical for church buildings.

“How we go about that will vary from place to place but the more creative we can be with this, the better.

“I’ve worked in cathedrals for 20 year.s We have had to think creatively [to think about how to raise funds through events and exhibitions].

“Coming to Blackburn it’s not a tourism destination so we had to think about alternative and creative ways [to generate income].”

Mr Howell-Jones said the events have encouraged visitors to attend the cathedral for the first time.

He said: “The first thing we did was develop our gin product and then we began to look at events and exhibitions.

“Over the last 18 months [our events] have been evolving. We’ve had new tribute bands and exhibitions, silent discos which have all seemed to work well.

“Those who attended have been amazed. They thanked us for opening up the building in this way. Some say they have never been before and add that they will come again.

“We’ve brought people in who discover the cathedral who will then come back for a variety of reasons.”

Without the events, Mr Howell-Jones said the cathedral would have been in a tough financial position.

He said: “Without these events I think we would currently be in a far worse financial position, especially after coming out of Covid.

“Lockdown was a very challenging time for churches and cathedrals. We were anxious coming out of Covid and did not know how we would survive.

“We lost 50 per cent of our staff team and we still only have a small team.

“These creative ways of working have helped us to flourish.”

Claire Walker, trust chief executive of Every Church Counts, said its six-point plan is “a blueprint of how churches can be saved for the future”.

She said: “With hundreds facing closure, a national plan is urgently needed to help secure their future. We are calling on Government, heritage organisations and Christian denominations to work together to tackle what is the UK’s single biggest heritage challenge.

“With so many churches offering vitally important community services, from food banks to warm spaces, they provide what is in effect the UK’s National Help Service, crucial to the social and economic wellbeing of millions of people.

“Keeping churches open means that support for the vulnerable can continue, especially important in more deprived areas.”