During this academic year, we have marked the start of each term by 'adopting a day' at Coventry Cathedral to help keep the historic building in our city accessible to everyone. A sign in the nave welcomed our diverse community of students back to the City of Peace and Reconciliation.

The annual Adopt-A-Day Campaign aims to secure open access to one of the region’s most iconic buildings. Coventry Cathedral scrapped admission fees in May 2018 in a move to allow all visitors to enjoy the unique experience and has since launched this initiative to attract supporters to help maintain free admission.

By adopting a day, the University has joined other individuals and organisations to help bring greater stability to the Cathedral’s finances and ensure that an entry charge is never re-introduced. Over the past year, £15,000 was raised for the upkeep and work of the Cathedral through this campaign, and anyone can still adopt a single day throughout 2021.

The Dean of Coventry, the Very Reverend John Witcombe, said:

“Seeing the removal of the entry fee to the Cathedral left a big hole in our annual accounts of over £120,000. We are delighted that the University of Warwick has adopted a day and hope that it inspires others to come forward to do so too. Our campaign allows families and individuals to engage with the Cathedral in a much more personal way and I pray that people appreciate the need to keep the Cathedral open and accessible to everyone, no matter their background.”

The Cathedral and its team have played an important role in the University of Warwick’s history. In the early 1960s, the Bishop of Coventry, Dr Cuthbert Bardsley, suggested our name and then in July 1967, the building hosted our very first graduation ceremony.

Visitors can enter the Cathedral without paying an entry fee, but are invited to make a donation to the upkeep and work of the Cathedral.

Visit the Cathedral website, if you would like to learn more about supporting this beacon of hope and local cultural asset.

Please follow all Covid-19 guidance to keep everyone in our community safe.