Coventry Cathedral in England announced that it has scrapped admission fees in an effort to reach more people.
In 2010, the cathedral started charging $8 (£6) per adult visitor to help with the upkeep and maintenance of the Medieval building. Through generous donations, the cathedral is now able to get rid of the entrance fees to accommodate more locals and tourists, reports Coventry Live.
“It is the fulfilment of a five-year dream to take this ambitious step of faith, to fling open the doors for visitors from the city, the region, and across the world to our fabulous cathedral. It is our mission to change lives by sharing our beauty, and our story,” said the Very Reverend John Witcombe, the Dean of Coventry.
He is optimistic that the initiative “will help us reach so many more people, to make so much more difference.”
Coventry Cathedral is known as a symbol of peace and reconciliation. It is built beside the ruins of the old St. Michael’s Cathedral which was bombed during the Second World War.
In an interview with Premier, Rev. Witcombe said, “We want to take down any barriers to people coming in and enjoying our extraordinary building and being caught up in the message that it represents.”
“I’m really confident that so many more people will come in both from the city and from across the country – people who’ve travelled across the world actually on the whole don’t mind paying,” he added.
Visitors can still make donations to enable Coventry Cathedral to continue with its free admission policy in the long run.
Sources:
Coventry Live
Premier
