A team of ten young people from around the world are visiting Liverpool Cathedral this week not just to look at the beautiful architecture – but to care for it as well.
The 16-25 year olds are taking part in a ‘Cathedral Camp’, in connection with Community Service Volunteers (CSV). They are helping in the preservation of the building by carrying out cleaning and maintenance tasks during the day, and they are living in the Undercroft of the building for the week of 28th July-4th August. Participants have come from across the UK, Europe and Asia.
Tasks will include painting railings in the Cathedral grounds and general cleaning and maintenance.
The Liverpool Cathedral Camp is one of a number taking place around the country. The aim is to make young people more aware of historic places of faith in Britain by giving them the chance to experience, observe, and participate in the care of these buildings at first hand.
The camps also provide suitable experience for young people interested in careers in conservation or architecture. Through Cathedral Camps, people gain a great sense of achievement and empowerment. Volunteering can provide the opportunity to discover new interests, learn and develop skills as well as making new friends.
The team is led by Oscar Frandsen and Owen Edwards from CSV alongside Cathedral staff. Oscar said: "My experience of Cathedral Camps last year in Worcester gave me a strong interest in volunteering. I have already had the chance to co- lead at St Mary’s Episcopal, Edinburgh this year. I am very eager to take those skills and experiences onto Liverpool - as it is a great way to give something back to the community."
Owen added: "By leading a group of young people, we all get the opportunity to learn something about the history of some of the oldest buildings in the UK, go behind the scenes of the cathedral where the public do not usually have access as well as giving the volunteers the opportunity to meet people from different parts of the country, if not the world."
Canon Anthony Hawley from Liverpool Cathedral said: "We are delighted to be welcoming these young people to our Cathedral and are very grateful to them for the time and energy they will be giving us. By helping with maintenance and actually living here for the week, they will get a unique insight into the effort and care that it takes to look after a building like this.
"Their hard work will certainly be appreciated, and we hope that they go away with an even stronger respect for historic places of faith as important examples of our cultural heritage."
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