WESTMINSTER ABBEY THE 2009 REPORT OF THE DEAN AND CHAPTER OF WESTMINSTER TO THE VISITOR HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN 1.
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3. Her Majesty s Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard march through the South Ambulatory for a service to mark the 500th anniversary of the death of their founder Henry VII.
The Report of the Dean and Chapter 2010 The Dean of Westminster The Very Reverend Dr John Hall Your Majesty The basis of the Abbey s life as a community in the service of almighty God is prayer and praise, with five services on Sunday, four each week-day and at least three on Saturday. We changed the pattern for summer Saturdays, with Evensong at 5, to allow more visitors access to the Abbey during the busy months. The collegiate foundation does not worship alone. Several hundred people come to Evensong and any of the choral services, with thousands at the most popular Christmas and Easter services. Young people make up a good proportion of Abbey worshippers. There was a significant number of special events and services, often relating to particular anniversaries, in the preparation of which the Minor Canons, the Reverend Graeme Napier and the Reverend Michael Macey, with their team, have a vital role. Whilst some feature regularly on the Abbey calendar, there have been some remarkable, even historic, occasions this year. It was a great joy to see Your Majesty and The Duke of Edinburgh in an otherwise empty Abbey at a service in the Lady Chapel to mark the 500 th anniversary of the death of King Henry VII with Your Majesty s Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard, which Henry Tudor had founded to attend him during the battle of Bosworth Field at which he won the Crown from Richard III. The Prime Minister of Australia and Mrs Rudd attended a service to commemorate the victims of Australian Bushfires, with The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, who later in the year returned for a service on the 90 th anniversary of the charity Combat Stress. The Normandy Veterans attended Evensong in the 65 th anniversary of the D-Day landings, as a result of careful negotiations with HM Government led by the Abbey s Receiver General, Sir Stephen Lamport. On Armistice Day a service, attended by Your Majesty and The Duke of Edinburgh, political, military and church leaders, together with representatives from across the United Kingdom and Ireland of the descendants of many who had fought in World War One, was held to mark the passing of that generation. Ian Bostridge OW sang with the Choir the Agnus Dei from Britten s War Requiem, Jeremy Irons read a poem by Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy and the Choir sang an anthem by Sir John Tavener commissioned for the service. Together these and other words and music reminded us afresh of the horror of trench warfare and of the final triumph over sin and death of the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Your Majesty honoured the Unknown Warrior and all the passing generation by laying a special wreath of poppies carried 4.
The Very Reverend Dr John Hall Lance Corporal Johnson Beharry VC and Trooper Mark Donaldson VC lay a wreath at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior during the service to mark the passing of the First World War Generation. 5.
The Report of the Dean and Chapter 2010 from the high altar by Lance Corporal Johnson Beharry VC and a Trooper of the Australian Army Mark Donaldson VC. The Archbishop of Canterbury preached a powerful sermon. He had also celebrated and preached on Ascension Day, and prayed in the Shrine with Vincent Nichols when the new Archbishop of Westminster was welcomed to the Abbey at the Edwardtide joint Evensong with Westminster Cathedral. In 2009 the Abbey Choir sang over 300 statutory services alongside a number of other commitments. The 250 th anniversary of Handel s death was commemorated with a performance by the Choir of Westminster Abbey with St James s Baroque under the direction of James O Donnell, the Organist and Master of the Choristers, of Messiah on Easter Tuesday broadcast live by BBC Radio 3. The same forces celebrated Henry Purcell s 350 th birthday year with a broadcast Choral Evensong and a concert on St Cecilia s Day, also broadcast by the BBC, and another, with Handel, during the Lufthansa Festival of Baroque Music. In this way the Abbey made an appropriate contribution to the wider national and international celebrations. It was good that the concerts were over-subscribed. The Abbey Choir has continued to record for Hyperion Records. The two recordings made in 2009 are in the final stages of production and await release at the time of this report. The disc relating to the 350 th anniversary of the restoration of the monarchy will be released in time for the actual anniversary in May 2010. This year s Lufthansa festival concert of music by Purcell and Handel was broadcast on BBC Radio 3. The Choir sang with the choirs of Westminster and St Paul s Cathedrals the St Cecilia Day concert in St Paul s. In December a Christmas concert was once again broadcast by Classic FM and sponsored by John Lewis Partnership. The Choir School continues to flourish under the leadership of Jonathan Milton, who has undertaken a term of office as chairman of the Choir Schools Association. It is important that the Abbey continues to be a leading centre for organ music. The summer organ festival was a great success, with excellent recitals and large audiences. The festival has become a popular fixture in the organ music world. The weekly Sunday afternoon organ recitals continue to offer a valuable opportunity both to complement and enhance the worship of the Abbey, and also to explore purely musical themes. In 2009 there were special series including the complete organ sonatas of J S Bach, and the organ works of Mendelssohn (in his 200 th anniversary year). The attendance for all these events remains high. The Abbey received a visit from Mrs Barack Obama accompanied by Malia and Sasha Obama. Madam Medvedeva, the wife of the President of Russia, also visited, as did the President of Israel, the President of Mexico during a State Visit, the President of Lebanon, former President Gorbachev, the Queen of Denmark and the Governor-General of the Solomon Islands. The Abbey, described as the nation s parish church, is properly a place of commemoration. A plaque was dedicated in the South Cloister, 6.
The Very Reverend Dr John Hall The Dean with the United States of America s First Lady, Michelle Obama, and her children 13-yearold Malia and eight-year-old Sasha when they visited the Abbey. during the centenary year of the Intelligence Services, in the presence of Your Majesty and The Duke of Edinburgh together with the Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary and Home Secretary and 18 members of each of the three services, MI5, SIS and GCHQ. A ledger stone in the South Transept was dedicated to the founders of the Royal Ballet. During the year the Dean and Chapter consulted on part of our 2020 Vision, a development programme with four key elements: an Education Centre, for which funds have most generously been given by one benefactor who wishes to remain anonymous, work begun at 1 Dean s Yard and a head of education appointed; a café or refectory in the Cellarium (the displaced staff facilities and offices being incorporated in the development at 1 Dean s Yard); an exhibition and display space in the Triforium with new means of access; and the completion of the lantern at the crossing with a Corona over the place of Coronation. There was good and generous media coverage for the launch of the consultation at Petertide, and a very positive response to an exhibition in the Chapter House with the public unanimously in favour of the first three items and 70% in favour of the Corona proposal. The Dean and Chapter has agreed to go forward to the crucial design stage on the Cellarium, Triforium and Corona and to make further decisions as potential designs emerge. A project manager has been appointed, the early stages of whose work will enable the next step of securing funds for the work on the Cellarium. Current conservation and restoration work on the Cosmati pavement in the Sacrarium, and by English Heritage on the Chapter House, together with the transformation of 1 Dean s Yard, will be complete in April. 7.
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9. Abbey staff in the Cloister Garth in July
The Report of the Dean and Chapter 2010 sub-dean, canon of westminster, rector of st margaret s, and chaplain to the speaker of the house of commons The Reverend Robert Wright Like many churches, St Margaret s is facing serious issues about the historic building. The repair of the cupola which was undertaken by the Abbey in 2008 restored it to pristine condition but that work underlined the necessity for other work to be carried out on the pinnacles of the tower, the stone work of the church, and the lead roof of the south aisle. In addition to this essential work some other minor improvements are proposed, notably to provide a space under the tower where children can meet during the Sunday services. Even with a regular annual maintenance programme, the demands of the natural deterioration of materials and the effects of environmental change have meant that we had to launch in the Spring of 2009 an Appeal to raise 2 million. 230,000 has been raised by the end of the year, with the expectation that applications to trusts and other sources will result in substantial grants. On St Margaret s Day 2009, the preacher Canon John Rees, the Provincial Registrar of the Province of Canterbury, reminded the congregation that faith in Christ is always irritating, and always brings hope. He said, It is right for the Church to question and challenge the assumptions of the societies we are called to. This church stands in such close proximity to Parliament, as a symbol of our Church s critical solidarity with the State, and providing ministry to so many of our politicians - who need our prayers as well as our criticism in the often thankless tasks they undertake. Margaret of Antioch was willing to be an uncompromising irritant to the powers that be in her day, and there is a beautiful appropriateness in her being the (patron) saint of (this) church! Margaret reminds us that faith in Christ raises irritating questions. But she also reminds us that in all of it, faith in Christ brings hope. During the year St Margaret s has hosted a number of seminars on Biblical themes for civil servants. This is a small but important part of the Abbey s engagement with social issues using insights from the Bible and the Christian tradition. But a great deal of the Rector s time this year has been taken up by his responsibilities in Parliament where the severe crisis surrounding the issue of MP s expenses saw Mr Speaker Martin s resignation. The fact that the Rector has been the Speaker s Chaplain since 1998 meant that he is a wellknown figure in the Palace of Westminster and he was therefore able to support both Members and staff through this immensely challenging time. This has required a sensitive and creative 10.
The Reverend Canon Robert Wright imagination that can listen, pick up hidden messages and respond empathetically. In some cases this has meant bringing a Christian perspective on this issue in such a way as to make it accessible to those who may not necessarily be part of a Christian church. St Paul (1 Cor 9.23) says that the Christian must become all things to all people and this is where St Margaret s has an important ministry to society. Amongst the special services that have been held were a service as part of the end child poverty campaign and a Prayer Vigil, in October 2008, surrounding the vote in the House of Commons on the protection of children from assault; a Eucharist for the Convocation of Canterbury in January 2009; and a service for Diocese in Europe. In June 2009 there was a new venture when a service was held for St Margaret s Deanery Primary School Leavers. This was a very successful service and will be repeated in 2010. A Service of Thanksgiving for the Life and Work of Paul Scofield was held in March 2009, and a high point in the year was the dedication of a memorial to Olaudah Equiano, the African, an 18th century black campaigner, prominent in the abolition of slavery movement. The memorial has been placed by the font in St Margaret s where Equiano was baptised in 1759. It is clear that the breadth of these services reflects St Margaret s mission. Through its special role in these services, St Margaret s connects with many people and makes a bold statement about God s involvement in his world. We have also tried to open St Margaret s to public visiting for longer on Sundays because we are aware of the many people who come in daily, to pray, to sit and think, or to admire the beauty of this unique church. 11.
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13. The beautiful interior of St Margaret s Church
The Report of the Dean and Chapter 2010 The Canon Theologian The Reverend Dr Nicholas Sagovsky 2009 was a Darwin year. On February 12, we commemorated the two hundredth anniversary of Charles Darwin s birth with the laying of a wreath on his grave. The flowers in the wreath (including Berberis Darwinii) came from the garden of Down House, where Darwin lived from 1842 to 1882. The Abbey hosted four other events in association with the Rescuing Darwin project of the theological thinktank Theos, which aimed to rescue the scientist from the crossfire of a theological battle in which he had little personal interest: the launch of Darwin and God by Nick Spencer (published by SPCK), who also gave the Gore Lecture on the same topic on the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the publication of The Origin of Species; a debate on the implications of Darwin s thought for religious belief chaired by the broadcaster Sarah Montague, with Lord Winston, Professor Steve Jones, Professor Denis Alexander and Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell; and a spellbinding performance of Mr Darwin s Tree, specially written by Murray Watts and starring Andrew Harrison. We were also delighted to welcome Professor Alister McGrath to give The Eric Symes Abbott memorial lecture on Religious and Scientific Faith: the case of Charles Darwin s Origin of Species. Other major commemorative events included those for the bicentenary of Abraham Lincoln s birth in July. A wreath was laid at the Lincoln statue in Parliament Square by Richard LeBaron, Chargé d Affaires at the US Embassy. Professor Richard Carwardine then gave a lecture on Abraham Lincoln and the Mission of America in St Margaret s Church. In October, the Abbey hosted, in partnership with the Johnson Society of London, an evening of readings to commemorate the tercentenary of the birth of Dr Samuel Johnson. Work in Progress lunchtime seminars, held in the Jerusalem Chamber in partnership with the Diocese of London, continue to be very well supported. This year s were given by Professor Eileen Barker ( Changes in New Religions and Public Reactions to them over the Past 20 years ); Professor Mary E. Mills ( The Stranger and the City: Perspectives on the Book of Jonah ); Revd Alan Gyle ( Working beneath the Surface: the Emotional Dynamics of Ministry ); Revd Canon Robert Reiss ( The Testing of Vocation ); Dr Stephen Plant ( Editing Theology: Reflecting, Serving, Bridging or Leading? ); and Dr Robert Murray SJ ( Discerning Prophecy ). 14.
The Reverend Dr Nicholas Sagovsky The Canon Theologian gave a number of lectures through the year: three in Holy Week (entitled Holy, Holy, Holy ) and three in Advent (on Dante and the Human Journey ). For three months in the early Summer he was on sabbatical leave in Germany, attached to the Ecumenical Institute at Tübingen University. In August, he returned to preach a series of five sermons on the recent papal encyclical Caritas in Veritate. Amongst activities outside London, he led a study day on Shakespeare s Kings and the Idea of a Christian Nation for Readers from Lincoln Diocese, who subsequently visited the Abbey. He gave papers in Oxford (on asylum); in Strasbourg (on Anglican-Roman Catholic ecumenism); and in Heidelberg (on The Triune God a God of Peace, Justice and Dialogue ). He also participated in a discussion of Regulation, Freedom and Human Welfare in St Paul s Cathedral. He was in Rome twice: for preparatory talks towards the reconstitution of the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC III) and to represent the Archbishop of Canterbury at The World Congress on the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Refugees which was convened to reflect, five years after its publication, on the Instruction from the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People, Ergo Migrantes Caritas Christi. co-chair. In March there was a superb evening on music and mysticism with Professor June Boyce and Dr Chani Smith. For the July reception, hosted in conjunction with the London Council for Christians and Jews, guests sheltered from the rain in the museum, venturing out only to visit the Library. Later in the year, the Reverend Dr Anthony Harvey, formerly Canon Theologian of the Abbey, gave a conspicuously well-received Lily Montagu Lecture at the Liberal Jewish Synagogue on Is Scripture Still Holy? Coming of Age with the Bible. One major challenge this year was the presence for several weeks of hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of Sri Lankan Tamils in Parliament Square who were deeply worried about the safety of their people when the fighting in the Jaffna Peninsula ended in victory for government forces. Clergy from the Abbey were much involved in ministry to Christians and Hindus, with the active support of Churches Together in Westminster. At times like these, the Abbey s prayers for peace and reconciliation take on a new intensity. The Abbey supports Inter-Faith dialogue in a number of ways. It regularly hosts meetings of the work of the London Society of Jews and Christians, of which the Canon Theologian is 15.
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17. Conservators at work on the Cosmati Pavement
The Report of the Dean and Chapter 2010 The Canon Treasurer The Reverend Robert Reiss Financially the year started in difficult circumstances, with numbers of visitors and hence income down on the budget. The Abbey is heavily dependent on income from visitors. In the year it provided nearly 90 per cent of our operating income. The Dean and Chapter decided during the spring to increase the entrance price from May 2009 in the hope that the increase in cost would be offset for overseas visitors by the weakness of the pound. That decision was justified by the outcome; over the year as a whole visitor numbers held up well, there has been very little critical comment about the price increase, the entrance price continues to compare favourably with other local visitor attractions and, of course, visitors coming to worship or simply to pray can always enter at no charge. The surplus for the year was nearly 1.5 million. This, together with the extraordinary generosity of the Garfield Weston Trust to advance the money needed to complete the roof work over the Triforium, which has also enabled the roofs to be redesigned to cope with the heavier flash rainfalls we are experiencing, has enabled a number of other projects to be undertaken in the course of the year, including the work on the tower of St Margaret s Church, a programme of ground penetrating radar on the Abbey s floor in order to determine the exact situation about any possible settlement and, with the help of some substantial grants from various trusts, to continue the work on the Cosmati pavement in front of the High Altar, which should be completed by May 2010. The year s surplus has also enabled a modest contribution towards achieving the Abbey s medium-term aspiration to build a reserve of 10 million, which roughly equates to the cost of running the Abbey for a year. Collections at services, contributions to the Votive Candle Fund and the One People Fund have also enabled the Abbey to continue its policy of making substantial grants to other charitable causes. Other matters dealt with in the past year include the long term aspirations of the Dean and Chapter. Work on 1 Dean s Yard to create an education centre, new and better staff facilities and some much needed new office space has continued and should also be completed by May 2010. The professional team under the Archaeologist and the Surveyor of the Fabric has also done much work on preparing for the other three parts of the first phase of the development plan described by the Dean: the opening up the Undercroft of the mediaeval service range on the East side of Dean s Yard known as the Cellarium; providing access to the 18.
The Reverend Robert Reiss large, unused Triforium and its conversion to a visitor attraction and exhibition area; and the completion after many years of inactivity of the Crossing Tower in the form of a Lantern or Corona. The Surveyor and Archaeologist have also arranged for more areas of the Abbey and Precincts to be surveyed digitally, particularly focussing on Henry VII s Lady Chapel, the Lantern Tower and the Cellarium. This information is vital in understanding the building and to give a basis on which to draw up the more detailed aspects of our development proposals. The Abbey Archaeologist has researched in detail the history of the Crossing and the various terminations since 1060, and has explained why the Abbey presents itself with a stump of Nicholas Hawksmoor s spire which was begun in 1724 but stopped because of the preparation of the coronation of King George II in 1727. His work will form a publication later this year. The restoration of the Chapter House by English Heritage, which is also due to be completed by May 2010, has prompted 14 authors to contribute to a major volume which will be published in the spring of 2010. The coordination, both legally and practically, between English Heritage who manage the Chapter House and the Dean and Chapter s staff has been outstanding, ensuring that the work will be completed on time. The Time Team, for a programme that was shown on Channel 4 in April 2010, conducted an archaeological investigation in September which uncovered the 1259 foundations of the demolished Sacristy on the North side of the Abbey. This investigation also allowed the Abbey s Consultant Engineer to consider the foundations of the Abbey in more detail in readiness for the Corona Project. Removing a large electrical grid transformer from beneath College Hall has for long been a major aim to free up space; this work has at last been carried out and the equipment is now buried in Dean s Yard. During the excavations for that building the Abbey Archaeologist gained information about the 18th Century landscaping. The Abbey Archaeologist now has a clearer picture of the roofs constructed by Sir Christopher Wren using timbers from the 15th Century predecessor roof. The Pyx Chamber, following the consolidation of the mediaeval floor and re-presenting it to the public, has now been re-established as a place of prayer. Through good co-operation the Dean and Chapter and Westminster City Council continue to maintain the paving and roads, lighting and drainage of the Precincts, at the expense of the Council. Improvements to the paving in the Sanctuary and through Dean s Yard Arch have been completed and preparations are in hand for improving the appearance of Dean s Yard. Unfortunately, this cannot proceed until the ancient, partly mediaeval, drainage system has been put into first-class order, and that is currently being planned by the City in conjunction with both our Legal Secretary and the Surveyor of the Fabric. The conservation team continue to develop, under the guidance of the Surveyor of the Fabric and the Consultant Archaeologist, protocols and regimes for maintaining the outstanding and large collection of historic items, including the great tombs, textiles and plate, which exist in the Abbey. The Dean and Chapter have appointed a Head of the Abbey Collection in order to care better for the Abbey s unique collection of moveable objects. His duties will include consolidating the inventory and attaching to it condition reports and proposals for preserving the items. 19.
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The Abbey as seen from the Palace of Westminster 21.
The Report of the Dean and Chapter 2010 The Canon Steward The Reverend Dr Jane Hedges The Dean and Chapter anticipated 2009 being a challenging year in terms of the expected number of visitors. However, our visitor numbers have held up well and during the course of the year the Abbey welcomed 966,395 paying visitors to the Abbey. At least half a million or more people came to the Abbey over the year to attend services or special events. As usual people have come from all over the world and our audio guide tour offered in eleven languages has continued to be very popular. Many of the initiatives begun in 2008 have been further developed. Pilgrim Tours, run on Wednesday evenings, have attracted parish groups from across London and beyond, giving people the opportunity to enjoy the stillness of the Abbey in the early evening and to be inspired by its architecture, history and atmosphere. For those of us leading these tours there are often extremely moving moments, such as when people kneel by the Shrine praying for a sick relative, or comment, as one person leaving after a tour during Advent, This was the best Christmas present I ve ever had. The annual Edwardtide Pilgrimage attracted around a thousand pilgrims. This year, as well as people arriving by coach or public transport, groups walked to the Abbey and were received with a special rite of welcome in St George s Chapel, which included washing their feet. A prayer trail was provided for each pilgrim as they arrived and individuals or groups were invited to participate in an Edward Litany in the Shrine. The Bishop of London was the guest preacher at the Eucharist, and at the Festival Evensong children from schools and parishes processed with their banners. The ARC project (Accueil, Rencontre, Communauté Welcome, Encounter, Community) was once again run in partnership with St Paul s Cathedral during July and August. This brought five young people, from Spain, Italy, France, Holland and Germany to the Abbey for several weeks during our busiest period of the year, and they were able to assist by giving small groups of overseas visitors tours in their own language and by working alongside other staff running the children s activities in College Garden. There have been major developments during the past year in terms of the staff who play a significant role in providing welcome and hospitality to pilgrims and visitors, thereby fulfilling one of the key areas of our mission at the Abbey. 22.
The Reverend Dr Jane Hedges In September 2008 a new Catering Manager, Anton Tasker, was recruited to oversee the hospitality offered to guests of the Dean and Chapter and to various working groups. Providing quality catering at the Abbey is a challenge because of the lack of kitchen facilities but there has been a considerable improvement in the level of service. From September 2008 to September 2009 the catering department served over 3,000 cups of tea and coffee, 300 formal lunches, 400 formal dinners and over 4,000 canapés. In April a Head of Visitor Services took up his new post, created in order to co-ordinate the different teams working directly with our visitors. Mr Steven Catherall previously worked in the Visitors Department in the Palace of Westminster and so came with experience of balancing the needs of visitors with the needs of a working institution. His role is with the Cashiers, the Audio Guide Assistants, the Marshals, the Volunteers, the Cleaners, the Beadles and Security Team. The benefits are already clear of having one person co-ordinating this vital area of Abbey life in terms of staff teams co-operating with each other, better communication and improved staff training, all contributing to raising the standard of service offered to visitors. In the first phase of our major development plans is the opening of an Education Centre for school children, the creation of which is well under way. The Dean and Chapter were committed to recruiting a Head of Education well before the opening of the centre so that the person appointed could contribute to the design and fitting out of the centre. In September Laura Arends, who had previous experience at St Paul s Cathedral in setting up a new education facility, was appointed to this role. Laura started work in November on a part time basis (becoming full time in January 2010) and she has already drawn up exciting plans for school children of all ages. The Education Centre will open in May 2010 and welcome the first groups of children. Activities will include guided and self-guided themed trails around the Abbey and precincts, covering many curriculum areas. Pupils will have the opportunity to take part in creative workshops, illuminating manuscripts and designing stained-glass windows. It has been a full and exciting year. The Dean and Chapter s development plans will have the effect of improving visitor accessibility and thereby enhancing people s experience of this amazing place. 23.
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25. Natasha Oughtred of the Birmingham Royal Ballet, and Romany Pajdak of The Royal Ballet perform a Solo from William Walton s The Wise Virgins at a service to commemorate the founders of the Royal Ballet.
The Report of the Dean and Chapter 2010 The Receiver General Sir Stephen Lamport KCVO DL The Canon Treasurer has reported separately on the health of the Abbey s financial position during 2009, which compared favourably with our income in 2008. These good results need to be set against a wider context. The present improvement to our income, welcome as it is, means that nearly 90 per cent of our operating income depends on paying visitors, and is inevitably subject to all the uncertainties and unpredictabilities of the tourist trade. This will always be vulnerable to factors over which the Abbey has no control. One good year may be an anomaly rather than a trend. The possibilities are continuously reviewed of diversifying our sources of income. But they are inevitably very limited. It may be possible to secure some improvements at the margin by developing on-line shopping by the Abbey shop: a modest start has been made. Running costs are kept under tight control, but reducing expenditure is only likely to be of marginal benefit without degrading unacceptably the work and standards of the Abbey since such a large part of our costs are staff-related. And the demands of maintaining and improving the fabric will always be great, and only ever supportable by an effective and permanent system of fund raising, hence the continuing importance of the Development Director and her team. Second, these encouraging financial figures should not mask the significant project demands which will have to be met next year, alongside our more routine fabric. The most expensive will include the repair needs of St Margaret s roof, renewal of the Abbey s sound system, and major work to renovate the Whicher and Kifford Almshouses. Some of the surplus will be needed this year to finance this work. That will not detract, however, from a firm and continuing commitment to building for the long term a reserve fund to cushion the Abbey properly against the unexpected. The aim remains to achieve a target of 10 million over the next few years. The Dean has described the broad outlines of the transforming Development Programme over the next 4 /5 years. The timetable is tight and demanding. The appointment of Malcolm Reading and his team as project managers means that there is a much better and more professional basis on which to tackle the many and complex planning and delivery issues which are involved. At the end of the year this process was still at the early stages. But a proper 26.
Sir Stephen Lamport KCVO DL system of governance was in place to oversee the programme and keep efforts focussed on the challenges of the programme. There were significant appointments to the Abbey s staff during 2009. The Canon Steward has described these in greater detail. These changes have been made alongside a far-reaching review of the pay and benefits enjoyed by the Abbey s staff, which took place, with regular consultation of the Abbey staff, over much of 2009. The result is an improved and much fairer system of pay and benefits based on a more objective comparative analysis of the weight and contribution of individual roles within the Abbey, and careful comparison with conditions in other similar sectors. The different ways of consulting and communicating with staff also improved over the year. The first proper survey of staff opinion was early in 2009, and a number of consultation groups enabled staff to discuss views on a wide variety of subjects over the course of the summer. At the end of year preparations were well advanced for the launch of a new Abbey Intranet, which will provide an entirely new means of communicating with all staff, and enable them to contribute views and ideas to the thinking of the Abbey. The Abbey s reputation in the wider world was further enhanced over the course of the year by the coverage secured by the Communications Team. This included from the summer onwards much favourable press comment about the Abbey s development plans, particularly the completion of the lantern crossing; the excavation by the Time Team of Henry III s demolished thirteenth century sacristy on the north side of the Abbey, which will be broadcast nationally on television during the spring; and live coverage on 11 November of the Passing of a Generation Service. The Abbey continues to receive good photographic coverage across the world. The challenges which face the Abbey remain undiminished. Their impact will vary from year to year. But the work of steady consolidation and improvement which has been the hallmark of the Abbey s recent history leads to a stronger position from which to rise to those challenges than for many years. 27.
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29. HRH The Prince of Wales and the Prime Minister of Australia Kevin Rudd lay a wreath at the Innocent Victims Memorial during a service for victims of the Australian bushfires.
The Report of the Dean and Chapter 2010 The Very Reverend Dr John Hall Dean of Westminster The Reverend Canon Robert Wright Sub-Dean of Westminster, Rector of St Margaret s Church, and Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons The Reverend Dr Nicholas Sagovsky The Canon Theologian The Reverend Robert Reiss The Canon Treasurer The Reverend Dr Jane Hedges The Canon Steward Sir Stephen Lamport KCVO DL The Receiver General 30.
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Summarised Financial Statements Summarised financial statements & Supplementary Summary Financial Information for the years ended 29 September 2009 33.
The Report of the Dean and Chapter 2010 Summarised financial statements for the year ended 29 September 2009 and summary financial information for the four years ended 29 September 2009 The summarised financial statements for the year ended 29 September 2009 are not the statutory accounts but a summary of information relating to the consolidated statement of financial activities and the consolidated balance sheet for that year. The supplementary summary financial information for the four years ended 29 September 2009 does not represent statutory accounts either. The full financial statements, from which the summarised financial statements and the supplementary summary financial information are derived, have received unqualified opinions from the independent auditor, David Hunt. Neither the summarised financial statements nor the summary financial information contain sufficient information to allow a full understanding of the financial affairs of The Collegiate Church of Saint Peter Westminster. The full financial statements for the year ended 29 September 2009 were approved by the Dean and Chapter on 15 January 2010 and copies of those statements, including the Auditor s and Dean and Chapter s reports, may be obtained from : The Chapter Office, 20 Dean s Yard, London SW1P 3PA. The Very Reverend Dr John Hall 30 April 2010 Dean of Westminster 34.
Summarised Financial Statements Summarised financial statements Consolidated statement of financial activities For the year ended 29 September 2009 000s Unrestricted Incoming resources Visitors Trading Donations and gifts Investment income Special events Other income Resources expended Religious activities Special events Visitor related Choir and music Upkeep Trading Fundraising 8,953 2,798 851 474 407 221 13,704 1,958 656 2,969 1,814 2,628 2,079 337 12,441 Restricted 1,420 295 33 1,748 130 97 1,182 1,409 Endowment 115 115 2009 Total 8,953 2,798 2,271 769 407 254 15,452 2,088 656 2,969 1,911 3,925 2,079 337 13,965 2008 Total 7,551 2,673 750 1,001 481 219 12,675 1,976 672 2,712 1,847 3,087 1,912 12,206 Net incoming /(outgoing) resources 1,263 339 (115) 1,487 469 Investment and property revaluations Actuarial loss on pension scheme Transfers 190 (1,941) (77) 69 77 768 1,027 (1,941) (5,955) (1,540) Net (decrease)/increase for the year (565) 485 653 573 (7,026) Consolidated balance sheet as at 29 September 2009 Tangible fixed assets 421 13,393 13,814 11,778 Investments 5,418 1,508 14,652 21,578 21,652 Net current assets 999 999 397 Pension scheme liability (4,979) (4,979) (2,988) Net assets 1,859 1,508 28,045 31,412 30,839 Funds 1,859 1,508 28,045 31,412 30,839 35.
The Report of the Dean and Chapter 2010 Income Visitors shop sales 18% Visitors' entry charges 58% Investment income 5% Donations and gifts 15% Other 4% Visitors' entry charges Visitors' shop sales Investment income Donations and gifts Other Total % 58 18 5 15 4 100% 36.
Summarised Financial Statements Expenditure Music 14% Mission 15% Conservation & maintenance 28% Other 7% Visitor shop expenditure 15% Visitor welcome 21% Mission Music Conservation & maintenance Visitor welcome Visitor shop expenditure Other Total % 15 14 28 21 15 7 100% 37.
Report of Dean & Chapter 2010 Supplementary summary financial information Four year summary 000s 2009 2008 2007 2006 Incoming resources Resources expended 15,452 (13,965) 12,675 (12,206) 12,323 (10,686) 11,465 (10,359) Net incoming resources 1,487 469 1,637 1,106 Investment and property revaluations Actuarial (loss)/profit on pension scheme 1,027 (1,941) (5,955) (1,540) 9,615 627 745 52 (Decrease)/increase in funds 573 (7,026) 11,879 1,903 Funds brought forward 30,839 37,865 25,986 24,083 Funds at the year end 31,412 30,839 37,865 25,986 Funds by category Unrestricted Pension reserve 6,838 (4,979) 5,412 (2,988) 5,334 (1,557) 3,960 (2,458) Restricted 1,508 1,023 1,209 1,051 Endowment 28,045 27,392 32,879 23,433 Total funds 31,412 30,839 37,865 25,986 38.
Summarised Financial Statements Independent auditor s statement to the Dean and Chapter of The Collegiate Church of St Peter Westminster I have examined the summarised financial statements for the year ended 29 September 2009, set out on page 35. Respective responsibilities of trustees and auditor The Dean and Chapter are responsible for preparing the summarised financial statements in accordance with applicable United Kingdom law and the recommendations of the Charities SORP. My responsibility is to report to you my opinion on the consistency of the summarised financial statements with the full financial statements. I also read the other information contained in the Dean & Chapters Annual Report and consider the implications for my report if I become aware of any apparent misstatements or material inconsistencies with the summarised financial statements. I conducted my work having regard to Bulletin 2008/3 issued by the Auditing Practices Board. Opinion In my opinion the summarised financial statements are consistent with the full financial statements of the Collegiate Church of St Peter Westminster for the year ended 29 September 2009 and the Dean & Chapter s Annual Report. David Hunt 30 April 2010 Chartered Accountant Registered Auditor 39.
For further information, please contact: The Chapter Office 20 Dean s Yard Westminster Abbey London SW1P 3PA United Kingdom Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7222 5152 Facsimile: +44 (0) 20 7233 2072 Email: info@westminster-abbey.org Published by: The Dean and Chapter of Westminster 2010 Dean and Chapter of Westminster www.westminster-abbey.org 40.