The Cathedral and Abbey Church of Saint Alban
A group of young volunteers are spending a week from 20th to 27th July restoring and cleaning St Albans Cathedral.
10 people, aged from 16-25 will be getting stuck into all sorts of tasks, from sweeping down the turrets and clearing the belfry, to carefully cleaning the memorials with paintbrushes. Many of the volunteers will have travelled overseas to come to St Albans, with some of the volunteers coming from Spain and France.
The volunteers will be working with the Cathedral Camps organisation, a charity which offers young people the opportunity to experience and participate in historic architecture by restoring places of faith across Britain. Many take part in the camps to pursue an interest in conservation, as part of their Duke of Edinburgh award, or to have fun and get to know people from all over the world. The campers are all excited about discovering new interests and learning new skills.
During the week the group will be clearing the Deanery barn garden to create space, and will be enjoying getting dusty while cleaning the Nave floor so that visitors can really appreciate the beauty of the cathedral. Of course the camp will not be all hard work, campers will have the opportunity to explore the cathedral and the area, and will have free time for relaxation and social events which are arranged in the evenings.
Camp leader Jen Unwin commented “This will be an excellent opportunity for the campers to learn a bit about conservation, while having fun and meeting new people in the process. We’re all looking forward to it!”
Justin Cross, St Albans Cathedral Administrator commented “We are delighted to be able to host a Cathedral camps team again this year. They are an invaluable help to us and we’re very pleased that we can provide such opportunities for young people.”