With your help, this Easter the Friends of Westminster Cathedral hope to raise £50,000 in matched funding to restore the six chandeliers hanging above the sanctuary. Although they appear to be intentionally grey, it would seem that 117 years of dust has hidden their bright bronze finish. In addition to the dust, the wiring has not been addressed for many years, and needs replacing.
The Big Give campaign will begin at 12 noon on Holy Tuesday, 31 March, and end at 12 noon on Tuesday 14 April.
All donations made within this time frame will be doubled. As such, a £100 donation is worth £200 during the campaign and, for UK taxpayers, this rises again to £225 with Gift Aid.
Please ensure that all donations are made on the Big Give website (button above) and within the timeframe, and thank you to the generous donors who have made this campaign possible.
When plans for Westminster Cathedral were originally drawn, electric lighting was at the forefront of cutting-edge technology. As such, the chandeliers were an integral part of the building plans.
The lights were designed to mimic the lamp holders of the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople (Istanbul), complementing the Byzantine style of the new Cathedral. However, they were not installed until 1909.
As an important part of our heritage, this project will require the removal, refurbishment, and reinstallation of each pendant light, and is likely to take quite a while to complete. Much like the parquet flooring, this will be handled in stages, whenever it is convenient to do so. Thus far, we have only examined the sanctuary chandeliers and intend to make a start there in the quieter summer months.
If you require assistance, or have any queries, please contact Friends@rcdow.org.uk.