Annual Review 2020 2021 - www.bathabbey.org - Bath Abbey
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2020 - 2021 Annual Review www.bathabbey.org
Welcome from the Rector
Dear Friends
Welcome to our Annual Review, move into some greatly improved
which this year looks back over offices and a magnificent Song
just the last nine months at Bath School.
Abbey - the pandemic having
disturbed this reporting cycle, as Finally, I must mention the
so much else in all our lives. Abbey financial team who have
guided us through challenges
As you will see from what follows,
which, deprived of all visitor
despite a range of extraordinary
income, have been most acute.
challenges, nevertheless in this
We have had to make painful
Contents period there has truly been an
immense amount to give thanks and unavoidable decisions to
for in our life together. cut staffing costs, and we have
survived only through essential
Welcome from the Rector 2 First and foremost, the prayers extra support from individual
and warm encouragement of donors, grant bodies and Diocese
Thanksgiving our Abbey congregation, though alike.
Connecting with God in scattered and often only able
the Every Day 3 to gather online, have been It has been a very tough nine
Worship and Music 4, 5 constantly sustaining. months. But let us thank God for
his faithfulness, and rejoice in
I thank God also, most especially,
Telling 6, 7 for my simply marvellous signs that better times really do
colleagues. Our indefatigable lie ahead. Writing this in Easter
Teaching churchwardens and PCC, and week, I gladly borrow the title
Learning Programme 8 amazing team of clergy and staff of a Christian book, popular
Youth & Families 9 members, have worked tirelessly some years ago : “It’s Friday, but
to shape and enrich the ministry Sunday’s Coming!”
Tending of the Abbey, in a constantly
Pastoral Care 10 changing landscape.
Safeguarding 11 We have orienteered through Revd Canon Guy Bridgewater
permissions and possibilities that Rector of Bath Abbey
Treasuring have changed, repeatedly and
Footprint Project 12 unavoidably, for the safe conduct
Footprint Thank you's 13 of almost everything we do at
Bath Abbey: for our worship,
Transforming singing, streaming online,
Mission Support 14 visitor welcome, prayer, study,
fellowship, volunteering and
every aspect of working together
Financial Review 15
(whether on-site, at home, or
with varying degrees of furlough).
Treasuring
Volunteering 16 At the same time, excitement has
Remembering 16 steadily grown, as the Footprint
Message from Project moves steadfastly
Churchwardens 17 towards a glorious conclusion.
In the last few months we have
been delighted to receive back
Photo Gallery 18, 19
our beautifully restored and
eco-heated Abbey floor; and at
last (as I write) we are about to
2
THANKSGIVING - Worshipping and Praying
Connecting with God For an alternative and fundamental Our Abbey Missioner, Stephen
way to make prayer real is, of Girling has brilliantly enabled online
in the Every Day course, to need God more. I believe support during lockdown (worship,
“Deepening Abbey Prayer Life” is many of us will look back on these prayer, encouragement and
the headline goal we set for 2020. last nine months, and find we have teaching from our faithful team of
To develop our primary purpose of indeed grown in our prayer life. We ministers, both daily and weekly).
worshipping and praying this year, have just had to. Meanwhile Chantal Mason, who we
we envisaged setting up prayer have been so delighted to welcome
Others however will have struggled.
meetings, training courses, on-site as our new Abbey Pastor, has
Especially perhaps those shielding
resources and a prayer ministry marvellously coordinated spiritual
and forced to sacrifice any way of
team. support for those at home, but not
coming together, to encourage and
online. Thank you both, so much.
There is an old saying that the best be encouraged. On behalf of these
way to make God smile, is to tell especially, I pay tribute to our music “Lord teach us to pray”, Jesus was
Him your plans! I believe that he department for providing a stream asked by his first disciples. The
has indeed been deepening prayer of online worship and inspiration; Rector says “Amen” … and waits
life at Bath Abbey – while also and also to my two senior clergy with bated breath, for what might
teaching us afresh that “his ways colleagues, without whom so much be the lessons of 2021!
are not our ways” (as Scripture would have been impossible.
Revd Canon Guy Bridgewater
gently reminds us). Rector of Bath Abbey
3
THANKSGIVING - Worshipping and Praying
Worship & Music filming these. had Zoom rehearsals and regular
one-to-one sessions.
The highlight of these past few We were also able to sing two
months was the arrival of our new Christmas concerts with small, but It was a delight to welcome the
Christmas recording ‘Gaudete’ live audience. Our much-loved Girls and Boys back on 12 April
which was played on local and Melody Makers Choir, led by Shean and 13 April respectively and they
national radio and received Bowers, Assistant Director of Music, visited the brand new Song School
widespread critical acclaim. also put together a short online which is looking wonderful.
concert to help put smiles on faces
There were three events where at Christmas. We have short UK tours to look
the Choir sang fully together in forward to this summer: the Boys
the autumn: The Remembrance There was some return to normal at Gloucester Cathedral and the
Concert, the Advent Carol Service between September and Christmas, Girls at St Paul’s Cathedral. The
and the Festival of Nine Lessons with regular rehearsals and services Lay-clerks have sung more often
just before Christmas. in the Abbey, albeit with smaller these past months, proving how
numbers. The autumn also saw a flexible they can be, with recording
All were recorded in advance and few organ recitals by Shean and me. sessions early in 2021 and during
released online only, and we were Holy Week singing most days in
really grateful to Ben Sandbrook During the November 2020 and very small numbers and adapting to
for his outstanding contribution in 2021 lockdowns the Boys and Girls brand new repertoire.
4
THANKSGIVING - Worshipping and Praying
One of the highlights was the recording
of Lord you have been our dwelling place
which I wrote for the Remembrance
Service on 24 March. I am grateful to
everyone for their patience, flexibility
and generosity of spirit as we have
responded to the government guidelines
these past months.
Whilst we haven’t done as much as
normal, I think the singers remain
in great heart, and apart from some
departures from voice change in the
Boys and leaving for university in the
Girls, we have only lost two singers since
March 2020, though we have gained two
as well!
Huw Williams
Director of Music
5
TELLING - Proclaiming the Gospel
The Abbey’s vision is to be Between lockdowns Abbey
living and telling the good news congregations were limited to
of Jesus Christ. During the a maximum of sixty however
period covered by this report livestreaming has extended
the ‘telling’ has largely moved the reach of the service to an
onto digital platforms with the additional online congregation.
benefit of wider reach and the
drawback of the loss of face to In March, on the first anniversary
face learning. of the first lockdown, the Abbey
partnered in curating and
During periods of Covid-19 hosting an online Community
lockdown the Abbey’s weekly Remembering Service led by the
worship has been made Chaplain of the RUH Bath spiritual
available online as a curated care centre, a highly successful
blend of up-close and personal and hugely appreciated initiative.
music, teaching, prayer and The Abbey’s ministry team have
testimony. The online platform continued to offer a daily Thought
has given a high level of for The Day from Monday to
consistency and attracted over Saturday, which is regularly
three hundred ‘unique viewers’ watched by up to 120 viewers.
weekly.
With many of the Abbey’s caring
6
TELLING - Proclaiming the Gospel
ministries shut down due to collective or organised effort.
Covid-19 restrictions there
The Abbey’s ministry team have
has been a strong emphasis
continued to work with the " The Abbey's
upon members of the Abbey
congregation caring in their local
Footprint interpretation and vision is to
education teams to help shape the
neighbourhoods. In this respect curriculum for future formal and be living and
‘the medium is the message’, so informal education around the telling the
the good news of Jesus Christ good news of Jesus Christ.
has continued to be told through
good news of
Revd Stephen Girling Jesus Christ. "
a myriad of local and personal
Abbey Missioner
engagements rather than by
7
TEACHING - Growing as followers of Jesus
will also create guidance on how
Learning Programme The National Archives, we are
to communicate information
working with the Bath Preservation
The new Learning programme Trust and Bath Records Office with honesty and sensitivity and
has continued to be developed on a six-month research project the recommendations will then
despite the restrictions. I have been to explore Bath’s links to the be shared with other archives
devising seven new workshops transatlantic slave trade and the nationally.
for schools which encompass the history of a black presence in the Polly Andrews
rich and impressive history of the city by studying digitised copies Learning Officer
Abbey. These will be on offer to of the Bath Chronicle newspaper
primary and secondary schools from the 18th century. Anna Riggs,
from September 2021, using the Abbey Archivist, and her team of
new Learning room as a base for research volunteers are looking at
workshops. the period 1760-80.
Costumes, art and craft activities Since the 2020 Black Lives Matter
and high-quality digital resources protests and the increasing
will help students to learn about awareness of colonialism’s legacy
important subjects including the today, the partner organisations
lives of Benedictine monks and how feel there is an urgent need to
the Abbey is a Living Church today. share a more inclusive history of
The major events in the Abbey’s the Bath World Heritage Site.
history will be taught in a workshop
called ‘Bath Abbey through the We will work with consultants
Ages’. with inclusivity expertise to make
the data available through a
In addition, thanks to a grant from dedicated website. The project
8
TEACHING - Growing as followers of Jesus
Youth and Families Communion Service.
I have kept in touch with families We also welcomed our newest Our Abbey Family
by email, phone and wherever member of the congregation, baby
possible in person. Penelope Fox born to Rob and Carly Nativity Service
on 15 March 2021 – mother and featuring 'Dermot
We had great fun recording the baby both doing well!
(socially distanced) Nativity film the Donkey' was
and the families greatly appreciated I have also helped Huw Williams,
the Family Nativity and Christmas our Director of Music, with the watched online
Day Services. weekly Choir rehearsals via zoom by around 300
and the boys in particular loved our
It was a joy to hand-deliver the fortnightly Quiz and Games nights. households.
Easter Activity packs to our families
and they all loved being back Tim Norton
together for our Easter Family Youth and Families Minister
9
TENDING - Caring as a church family
Pastoral Care Collaboration has been at the heart And my thanks also go to our
of Pastoral Care. The Pastoral Team, Chaplains for their faithful ministry
Abbey Pastoral Care has been working with our excellent Contact in coming alongside our visitors.
expressed in extraordinary and Group Leaders, generously offered
creative ways throughout the a ‘Week of Blessing’ across the Revd Chantal Mason
pandemic. church in January. Abbey Pastor
Our Pastoral Team, Chaplains and In addition, numerous doorstep
Contact Group Leaders, to name visits have been made, with special
" The Pastoral Team
but a few, have diligently served the visits offering Christmas Care and has provided a
church family. The Pastoral Team Easter gifts.
has provided a valuable listening valuable listening ear
ear to many, in hidden acts of Recently a beautiful new Abbey to many, in hidden
service, phone calls, and cards; prayer station for ‘Peace of Mind
and Contact Group Leaders a vital and Heart’ was designed by the acts of service, phone
communication link in periods of Pastoral Team for visitors seeking calls and cards..."
lockdown. solace.
10TENDING - Caring as a church family
Safeguarding their role.
During this reporting period, 24 "[Safeguarding]
Notwithstanding the pandemic
closure, the work of Safeguarding DBS clearances or re-clearances continues to be
were obtained, and 90 hours
goes on. It continues to be an
of Safeguarding training were
an integral part
integral part of Bath Abbey’s Safer
Recruitment procedures, including completed online. of Bath Abbey’s
Disclosure and Barring System Natalie Cox-Mullings Safer Recruitment
(DBS) clearance where the role so
requires.
Human Resources Officer procedures, including
Disclosure and
Appropriate Safeguarding training
is completed although in view Barring System (DBS)
of best practice we encourage/ clearance where the
recommend all staff and volunteers
to undertake basic awareness role so requires."
Safeguarding training regardless of
11TREASURING - Sustaining and renewing creation
Footprint Project who have worked hard to keep facilities for interpretation and
the project on track. Inevitably learning, a valuable resource for the
Those of you who have been to we have seen delays, and there is church, as well as local schools. The
the Abbey over the past couple of still some work to do within the team have been working over the
months will have noticed the huge Abbey, including the installation of past seven months to develop an
transformation that has happened the new AV systems, cleaning and exciting education programme, which
through the past year. Not only do we restoration of monuments, and the we aim to launch in the Autumn.
now have a completed Abbey floor, re-installation of the Corporation
but we also have heating – now being Stalls, all of which will be completed Nathan Ward
provided by energy extracted from over the summer months. Footprint Project Director
Bath’s natural spring water which
runs through the Roman Drain. This The new Song School has been
a very welcome milestone as we push taking shape and we are now into " ...thanks are owed
on towards the completion of the the final stages of fit-out. This is an to our dedicated
Footprint Project. exceptional new space which will
support the Abbey’s reputation and consultants and
Work has progressed well throughout development of musical excellence. contractors who
the past year, despite the challenges We are looking forward to opening
and complications brought by the the practice rooms to the choirs. have worked hard
pandemic, thanks are owed to our
The new vaults and museum spaces
to keep the project
dedicated consultants and contractors
will provide the Abbey with unique on track."
12THANK YOU - For the support of the Footprint Project
We are extremely grateful for the • 29th May 1961 Charitable Trust • Layton Trust
generous financial support Footprint
• Allchurches Trust • Linbury Trust
has received from benefactors across
the community, including the Abbey’s • Annett Trust • Lord Barnby’s Foundation
congregation, local philanthropists,
regional and national Trusts and • Bath Abbey Music Society • Peter Stormonth Darling
Charitable Trust
Foundations, and The National • Bath Boules Charitable Trust
Lottery Heritage Fund. We are • Ray Harris Charitable Trust
thankful to all those who support this • Brownsword Charitable
Foundation • Restore Our Planet
visionary project, this year especially.
• Coles-Medlock Foundation • Roper Family Charitable Trust
Footprint’s Supporting Trusts &
Foundations • Fairfield Charitable Trust • Sandra Le Marchant Trust
• Friends of Bath Abbey • Stephen Clark 1957 Charitable
Trust
• Garfield Weston Foundation
• Swire Charitable Trust
• Gatliff Trust
• Trevor Osborne Charitable Trust
• Grace Dieu Charitable Trust
• Wolfson Foundation
• Hobson Charity
The National Lottery Heritage Fund, • World Heritage Site
• J & P Benson Trust Enhancement Fund
Historic England and the DCMS's
Culture Recovery Fund • Kirby Laing Foundation
13TRANSFORMING - Pursuing justice & peace in society
Mission Support periods of lockdown. them that we know of the acute
and pressing needs of so many
Keeping in contact! Meanwhile we also continue to be people, both near and far. There
in regular contact with our partners are signs of a brighter future, of
Over these last few months, in India (Reaching the Unreached) new ideas and opportunities to
Mission Support has been faced and Africa (Wycliffe) who send us share more of our resources – and
with a different sort of challenge informative and colourful updates, people, time and talents – once
in order to keep in touch with our describing how they also have again.
partners, both locally and abroad. had to adapt to provide for their
It may have been by Zoom, but communities in the most vital ways Starting, right now, with the
we have had reviews with all the during the pandemic. Pentecost Appeal! Please think to
Bath-based charities that the Abbey support us in that.
supports and have learnt of their All this simply illustrates the
plans for the future and of new importance of staying in touch and James Playfair
initiatives made necessary by the maintaining our links. It is through Chair, Mission Support Group
14FINANCIAL REVIEW
Looking back, the last 12 months, Abbey are not expected to return Abbey with around £2m, mainly in
have been an incredibly challenging until 2022 the form of grants, to support both
period of change and upheaval, the Footprint Project and our Bath
probably the most that the Abbey In March 2020 we estimated that Abbey operations. These funds
has experienced in a generation, our visitor numbers and our key have enabled us survive 2020 and
caused by the Footprint Project income stream “visitor donations” into 2021 we believe that we have
works and then overlaid with the would drastically fall as would enough cash to get us through to
pandemic, its lockdowns, our our Tower Tour, Shop and Concert 2022, which is when we hope that
inability to gather, sing or worship income streams. We estimated that near-normal will return.
together and finishing the period in 2020 and 2021 the pandemic
with staff redundancies and the would lead to a reduction in our We would like to take this
very sad passing away of HRH commercial income of around opportunity to thank our team of
Prince Philip. £1m. We quickly formulated and wonderful volunteers; our PCC; our
implemented a survival plan and Churchwardens; staff and team of
When the pandemic gripped the approached key stakeholders for clergy and chaplains; as well as our
UK back in March 2020, the Abbey assistance to help us get through team of professional advisers and
was immediately impacted in the 2020 to 2022. Emerys our contractors for helping
following ways, all adverse: the Abbey get through these
Our visitor numbers fell by around difficult times. Its been a great
• We closed to visitors just 75%; our shop remained closed team effort. Thank you.
at the point when our peak season for 8 months; we were unable to
was about to commence; deliver Tower Tours for 9 months We are not “out of the woods” yet,
due to our inability to comply with however we are nearly there. The
• When we were permitted to COVID-19 social distancing and success of the vaccination roll-
open, our visitor and shop capacity hygiene guidelines and no concerts out, we are in the final phase of
levels reduced significantly; or graduations took place. the Footprint Project, we re-open
our doors to visitors on 17 May
• We were unable to run Fortunately, after months of and a new spring/summer season
Tower Tours due to being unable completing applications and is ahead of us fills us with hope,
to comply with COVID-19 social delivering presentations to positivity and excitement.
distancing and hygiene guidelines; stakeholders, we received
significant financial support from Frank Mowat
• Our ability to fundraise
the following organisations: Executive Director
was hampered and de-prioritised
and competition for donations • The Diocese of Bath & Wells
increased;
• The National Lottery
• The Footprint Project Heritage Fund
suffered delays mainly due to
supply chain issues and social • The Department for Digital,
distancing; Culture, Media and Sport
• Disruption costs increased • The Church of England
due to Footprint delays and our
daily operating costs increased due • The UK Government
to COVID-19; Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme
• Overseas visitors to the We are eternally grateful to these
organisations for providing the
15TREASURING - Volunteering
Through every stage of the with our exploration of online as Footprint completes.
pandemic our volunteers were services, sewing sashes, and
instrumental in opening the Abbey researching our links with historic With thanks and in anticipation,
with a warm welcome, and those slavery. Mary Wickenden
who could come in adapted to Volunteers Officer
changed roles and responsibilities We cannot wait to welcome you
with an enthusiasm that does them all back as the Abbey reopens,
credit. especially those of you who have
been shielding for some time. We
Volunteers supported our work will have the roles you love as well
behind-the-scenes too, assisting as some exciting new opportunities
TREASURING - Remembering
Remembering with March, it was very moving that gave voice to our song of
to be part of the Bath and lament.
love members of the North East Somerset online
Abbey family who ‘Community Remembering Revd Chantal Mason and Revd
have died during the Service’ partnering with the Canon Guy Bridgewater
Royal United Hospital, Dorothy Abbey Pastor and Rector of
pandemic House, SWALLOW, Care Homes, Bath Abbey
and BANES Council in expressing
The impact of Covid-19 on
our solidarity.
our Abbey community has
been profound. We have
We recognised our shared grief
grieved with members of our
and loss as a wider community.
Abbey church family who have
During this service we
experienced the death of loved
acknowledged the heartache of
ones this past year. All those
being unable to meet together
who have died will of course
at funerals and the pain of being
be remembered at our APCM,
isolated in bereavement.
and also later in the year at
our ‘All Souls’ service.
It was so fitting that Huw
Williams, our Director of Music,
As we marked the anniversary
composed an anthem for this
of the first lockdown on 24
service based on Psalm 90,
16TREASURING - Message from the Churchwardens
Keeping it going! cannot do something when you longer have to be ‘let us see’
are desperate to do just that. This or just . . . . ‘possibly’. Two not
It is only a modest achievement but the has been the role of the (this!) entirely helpful answers.
Abbey has opened for private prayer churchwarden. Keeping to the
almost every day over recent months rules. In the olden days when they It is all going to be coming back
when for much of that time, due to had real power it would have been soon and life one hopes will be a
the restrictions, services have been different. lot simpler. Alleluia!
cancelled. There was no congregation James Playfair
in the Abbey at all again in November Like everyone else, the
churchwardens, both of them, are Churchwarden
and Remembrance Day services were
online. We were back for Christmas, genuinely looking forward to when
with live-streaming and limited the restrictions are lifted and the
numbers, but after the New Year, there response to your requests will no
were no services in church until Palm
Sunday. It is marvellous now to be back
in more space and in time for Easter.
We are very grateful to our staff,
the Operations Team especially, the
chaplains, Stephen and his IT skills, and
the small, merry band of volunteers,
deputy wardens and worship support
who have helped us through this
confusing and uncertain time. Thank
you for your support, willingness and
ability to adapt, in several variations of
the limited space.
It has been very good to share
the churchwarden responsibilities
with Rose Amphlett. Elected at the
last APCM, Rose has already had a
very busy time of it, not just in the
Abbey itself, but in getting to know
more about the many facets of our
community life, from finance to fire
extinguishers!
There is always going to be a prophet
of doom, an inflexible Jeremiah, who
it seems is there only to say that you
1718
19
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