Report from June Chapter Meeting

A wide range of issues featured on the agenda for the last meeting of Chapter – or Board of Trustees – of Wakefield Cathedral on Wednesday 26 June 2025, including financial and governance matters, plans for a choir tour and arrangements to cover the role of dean in the coming months.

A wide range of issues featured on the agenda for the last meeting of Chapter – or Board of Trustees – of Wakefield Cathedral on Wednesday 26 June 2025, including financial and governance matters, plans for a choir tour and arrangements to cover the role of dean in the coming months.

High on the list was a ‘deep dive’ into income generation. Jess Riley, the cathedral’s events and retail officer, explained that the chief ways of bringing in external income were applying for grants, organising large events and hiring out our facilities. She stressed the importance of balancing financial sustainability with the cathedral’s core values.

“We try to ensure our events maintain a strong mission focus – joyful, high quality and inclusive,” she said.

Grants were especially important to support music, education and outreach work, she added.

Other finance-related discussions included approval of the 2024 report and accounts. The final outturn for last year was confirmed as a deficit of £12,200: the report and accounts will be posted on the cathedral website soon. Chapter also reviewed the financial position for the first five months of 2025, and confirmed that the expected deficit this year is likely to be much larger.

Canon Kathryn Goldsmith presented plans for a choir tour to Edinburgh in 2026, which Chapter wholeheartedly supported while awaiting further detail. Also considered were ways in which the committees of Chapter (Finance, Risk & Audit and Nominations Committees) can be made more effective, arrangements to recruit a new member of Chapter to replace Canon John North who stepped down this month, and a review of our safeguarding arrangements.

Finally, as this was Dean Simon’s last Chapter meeting, members recorded their thanks to him for his leadership during the past seven years, and passed the necessary motions to support the Bishop’s intended appointment of Canon Philip Hobday as Interim Dean during the forthcoming vacancy. An update on the selection process for the next dean can be found here.