Latest News

 NEWS FROM DERBY CATHEDRAL

AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM
CHRISTOPHER CUNLIFFE ACTING DEAN

This work builds upon the strategies developed in the Derby Cityscape Masterplan and Derby’s City Centre Public Realm Strategy. The exhibition aims to explain Cityscape’s ideas for regenerating the city centre and to find out your views on how the route between Westfield Derby and the Cathedral Quarter can be improved.

The exhibition will show Cityscape’s design proposals aimed at enhancing the Morledge, Corporation Street, Full Street, Queen Street and part of Iron Gate. It will also illustrate their vision for the future of the Cathedral Quarter area of the city and this includes ideas for the regeneration of the area surrounding Derby Cathedral.

The designs have been developed following a series of consultation events between February and April 2008.

Whilst we welcome Cityscape’s overall vision for the development and regeneration of the area, I would like to take this opportunity to stress that these outline designs have been produced by Derby Cityscape and their design team and are of a visionary nature only. The Cathedral has had no input into these designs and no final plans have been agreed.

Before any firm decisions are taken over the development of the area around the Cathedral, a formal process of consultation will be launched and standard planning process will be followed via our FAC committee. We have yet to develop detailed plans with a specific timeline.

The exhibition provides an opportunity for you to make a response to these proposals and I would urge you to go along and give Cityscape your views on its proposed designs. Your comments will be fed back to the design team.

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NEW DEAN FOR DERBY

The Rt Revd Dr Alastair Redfern, Bishop of Derby, is delighted to announce today that the new Dean of Derby will be the Revd Dr Jeffrey Cuttell. He succeeds Martin Kitchen who resigned from the post in December 2007.

A new Dean is an important announcement for Derby city and Derbyshire county.  Along with the Bishops and Archdeacons the Dean holds one of the senior offices in the Diocese. In the role, Jeffrey (Jeff) Cuttell will primarily lead the ministry of Derby Cathedral, working alongside those in the public, private and voluntary sectors to enhance the wellbeing of communities across the city and county.

Jeff, (49), has been Rector in the parishes of Astbury and Smallwood in the Diocese of Chester since 1999 and has also been the Rural Dean of Congleton, overseeing the ministry of 20 parishes, since 2004. His varied background, including posts in the military, broadcasting and lecturing have brought a wide perspective to his parish work.

He said: “A lot of my ministry has taken place at the edge of conventional church life, and has brought a wonderful perspective to my parochial ministry. Healthy churches are those which thoroughly engage with the community and there is a strong tradition of this in Cathedral ministry. It’s why I am so excited at the prospect of this post. As a Rural Dean I learned the benefits of bringing people to work together to achieve things that couldn’t be done apart. There are many opportunities for partnership presented by Derby city’s ongoing development and of the Cathedral Quarter, and I look forward to this immensely.”

Jeff comes from a strong background in the Sciences. After graduating with a first in Geological Sciences from the University of Birmingham he went on to work for the Atomic Energy Authority pursuing his PhD research with the Nuclear Physics Division of Harwell AERE in Oxfordshire. He trained for the ministry at Trinity Theological College in Bristol and was ordained in 1987. He served, first as Curate and then as Vicar, in the parish of Normanton in the Diocese of Wakefield. During this time he also studied modern philosophy at Sheffield University and was awarded an MA in 1991. 

He left West Yorkshire to move into broadcasting religious programmes.  He worked for the BBC in a number of capacities between 1995 and 1999.  He worked in local radio as a Producer and Presenter for BBC Radio Stoke, as a TV Presenter for BBC 1 Television and as a regular contributor to BBC Radio 2 and 4 before returning to parish ministry in 1999.

An additional role has been holding a commission as a Chaplain to the Forces.  Between 1997 and 2006 he served with the 4th Battalion the Parachute Regiment (Reserve).  He saw active service on operations in the Balkans and he holds military parachutist qualifications with the French, German and British Armies.

His educational and military experience came together in 2001 when he lectured at Cardiff University on War & Ethics until 2006. He was also a Tutor at St Michael’s College, Llandaff, during the same period.

Bishop Alastair said: “I am delighted to welcome Jeff to the Diocese to be our new Dean. He brings a wide range of skills and experience which will greatly enrich our Cathedral at a time of great opportunity. He has served the church with conspicuous ability in parish ministry, the wider church and in broadcast and communication. The Cathedral team and I look forward to working with him and helping him to get to know the people of the city and county.”

Acting Dean and Archdeacon of Derby the Ven Dr Christopher Cunliffe said on behalf of the Cathedral staff and community: “We are delighted that somebody of Jeff’s calibre and wide experience is coming to be our Dean. We look forward to working with him to address the great opportunities at the Cathedral.”

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VOLUNTEERS REQUIRED

Do you have a few hours to spare on a Sunday or during the week?

Derby Cathedral shop could really do with your help!

Taking up this opportunity you will be able to learn about:

Customer Service
Till Operation
Stock Replenishment
Clerical duties

Various hours available
Substantial lunch, drinks and snacks
Friendly atmosphere
Looks excellent on your CV and UCAS application!

Please ring on 01332 381685 between 9:30am and 5:00pm and ask for Lesley.

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TO BE ANNOUNCED IN DERBY CATHEDRAL AT ALL SERVICES ON SUNDAY, 1 JUNE 2008

Canon Nicholas Henshall, Precentor of Derby Cathedral, has been appointed Vicar of Christ Church, High Harrogate. It is currently anticipated that – although Christine and the children will need to be in a position to start at new schools in September, Nicholas will formally finish in Derby at the end of September, with the installation at Harrogate in early October.

Canon Henshall comments: “The last six years here at Derby Cathedral have been an enormously fruitful time for me both professionally and personally, and one of the happiest times in our life as a family. Canon Elaine Jones and Canon Andie Brown have been remarkable colleagues, and over the last 18 months Christopher Cunliffe has been immensely supportive. The Cathedral as a place of prayer and worship, and the networks of the city and county have been brilliant. It has been a privilege to work with such a range of gifted and exciting groups and individuals. My association with BBC Radio Derby has been a particular highlight.”

Christ Church, High Harrogate is the original parish church of Harrogate. It stands at the heart of the Stray in the centre of a large parish of 15,000 people, with thriving congregations, and an exceptional Sunday School. The parish includes four primary schools and St Aidan’s, a huge Church of England secondary school widely regarded as one of the best schools in England. The church has a mixture of lay and ordained staff, an exciting musical tradition – with a robed choir alongside a church orchestra – and a very large number of volunteers. It forms part of a wide range of networks across the town.

Canon Henshall said: “I am very excited by this move to Christ Church. After four years as a priest in a mining town, ten years in an extreme inner city parish, and now six years at Derby Cathedral I am looking forward to the challenges of a completely new environment. I am eager to become involved in the life of the town, the deanery and with my new colleagues in the Diocese of Ripon and Leeds.”

The Bishop of Knaresborough (suffragan bishop in the Diocese of Ripon and Leeds) writes: “Nicholas offering of himself for this post at this point in the life of Christ Church does feel very much like an answer to prayer. I look forward to our ministry together in the diocese.”