Red carpets, Jazz, Downton Abbey : All at Carlisle Cathedral

This Sunday Carlisle Cathedral and the Rheged Centre in Penrith are hosting a very special gala cinema evening with a red carpet reception, live jazz and Downton Abbey on the big screen for a final fundraising push for the Cathedral’s Fratry Project.

This £3.5 million project to bring the Grade 1 listed Fratry building back to life will result in a refurbished, well-equipped and fully accessible building, and is at the heart of the Cathedral’s strategy for sustainability. It will transform the effectiveness of the Cathedral’s daily life and outreach by achieving better quality, connected facilities and learning opportunities for the thousands of people who visit the Cathedral each year.

It has been made possible by funding from the Friends of Carlisle Cathedral, grant-making trusts, generous donations by members of the public, Cathedral activity and a major contribution of £2m from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).

The gala cinema evening this Sunday (13 October) is to help the cathedral raise £178,000 – the final five percent needed to redevelop and extend the Grade I listed Fratry, which was built in the 1500s as the monastery refectory and currently houses one of the finest 17th – 18th century libraries in England.

The Dean, the Very Revd Mark Boyling said: “There are years when you dream dreams and capture a vision. There are years when you consult, shape a strategy and develop plans. There are years when you muster the resources you need – human and financial. And there are years when all that work bears fruit and plans are delivered.

“For Carlisle Cathedral 2018 was the year when “delivery” moved to centre stage; our transformation is almost complete, we are now looking forward to 2020 and beyond, ‘ he added.

Tickets are still available for this Sunday’s gala cinema event. Dress code: glamorous!

Get your glad rags out and get your tickets here.

To find out more about the Fratry visit their website here.