Bristol Cathedral has been awarded a generous grant of £475k towards the Access for All project 

The funding awarded from The Julia Rausing Trust, will kick-start a transformational project which will drastically improve the way visitors and the community can enjoy Bristol Cathedral without experiencing physical barriers to accessibility. 

The Julia Rausing Trust was launched by Hans Rausing in July 2024 in order to make memorial donations in honour of his late wife, Julia Rausing. The Julia Rausing Trust is pleased to announce £16.7 million in heritage grants across the UK including £6.2 million to cathedrals, £6.2 million to botanic gardens and £4.3 million to museums and galleries. The grants will enable crucial repair and refurbishment works to English cathedrals and botanical gardens across England, Wales and Scotland.

The grant awarded to Bristol Cathedral will support the installation of a new platform lift and work to raise the Cloister floor to its original level in the Victorian era. This exciting project will create new level access for those in wheelchairs or experiencing mobility issues so visitors can travel from the Cathedral Nave down to the ground floor of the south range without the need to navigate sets of steps and level changes. 

Bristol Cathedral was originally a medi­eval abbey and became a Cathedral in 1542. Like many historic buildings, there are issues with physical accessibility. To date, wheelchair users often have to take a long inconvenient journey around the outside of the Cathedral via the carpark in order to use the toilets, café and Chapter House. During poor weather or at night, this is unsafe, undignified and has been disruptive to visitors when enjoying services and events and wanting to view the beautiful medieval parts of the Cathedral.

The Very Reverend Dr Mandy Ford, Dean of Bristol said:

Bristol Cathedral is committed to improve its accessibility to ensure that anyone who visits can experience a warm welcome and can take part in Cathedral life in a way that works for them. We have made some progress to improve accessibility in the Cathedral this year, including levelling the floor to the Cathedral café, re-laying an uneven floor in the Seafarers’ Chapel and installing a new sound system with a hearing loop system but there is still a long way to go to make the Cathedral accessible for everyone...   

We are so very grateful to The Julia Rausing Trust for this generous grant which will allow us to build on this important work and enable us to address one of the building’s biggest accessibility challenges.”

The grant will also cover improvements to lighting and electrics and the installation of new fit for purpose ramps across the Cathedral building. Including to the east end of the Cathedral, entrance to the beautiful cathedral garden, Song School and a gently ramped access into the Chapter House, one of the oldest and most architecturally significant parts of the Cathedral.

The Access for All project is expected to cost in the region of £750,000 with further funding being sought from Trusts and Foundations towards the project. 

Frances Rosewell, Visitor Experience Director at Bristol Cathedral said:

“Improving access is not only essential but will also enhance the Cathedral’s ability to host and welcome people to a variety of events and activities, from exhibitions, community events and education workshops. It will increase participation to heritage and support the Cathedral’s long-term sustainability for future generations…”

Notes to Editors

Bristol Cathedral is Charity no.1204673. No regular funding from the Church of England or the government is received to maintain the historic fabric, develop our facilities or programmes.

The Julia Rausing Trust has been established in memory of the late British philanthropist Julia Rausing, who died in 2024.
The Julia Rausing Trust will see £100million donated to charities and organisations in its first year and annually thereafter, making it one of the largest charitable funds in the UK.
Julia Rausing co-founded The Julia and Hans Rausing Trust in 2014. She was widely known for her unwavering commitment to philanthropy and her impactful contributions to a wide range of UK charitable causes. She was instrumental in building the Julia and Hans Rausing Trust into one of the largest philanthropic funds in the country, donating £400 million to causes across Health, Welfare, and the Arts, primarily within the UK.
https://www.juliarausingtrust.org