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The Friends are the Cathedral's fan club, a group of like-minded people who admire the building, its history and the community which surrounds it. We work together to preserve it, and, with the great generosity of our membership, contribute financially to many vital projects.
Why join?
Over the years The Friends have given the equivalent of more than £18 million towards various projects to enhance and preserve Canterbury Cathedral. Becoming a Friend is not only about restoring a beautiful old building; it’s about being a part of a community and forming lasting relationships, one which enjoys many activities and ‘behind the scenes’ events.
Membership Benefits
- Free entry to the Cathedral and its Precincts
- Full annual programme of Friends' events
- New member celebration (which includes a private guided tour)
- 10% discount at the Cathedral Shop and Cathedral Lodge (some exclusions apply)
- Exclusive Friends’ Day each summer
- Monthly Friendly Friday e-newsletters
- Annual Cathedral magazine - view a sample of The Chronicle
- Twice-yearly paper mailings
- Membership badge
- Exclusive Friends’ Day each summer
For more information download The Friends leaflet.
Membership Options
Annual Membership
- Single £30
- Single (under 30) £15
- Student £10
- Joint £50
- Family (2 adults and up to 3 children) £55
- Family (1 adult and up to 2 children) £40
Lifetime Membership
- Single £700
- Joint £1000
- Single (65 and over) £500
- Joint (65 and over) £800
Friends' Day 2023
Thank you to everyone who attended this year's Friends’ Day and helped to make it such a success.
Watch our Friends' Day film, access the AGM Minutes and recording, and to see a timelapse video of the Canterbury Cathedral Lodge garden project - generously supported by a grant from The Friends.
History of The Friends
The Friends of Canterbury Cathedral was founded in 1927 by the then Dean of Canterbury, George Bell. The organization was the first of its kind in the world.
In 1928 Miss Margaret Babington joined Dean Bell as Steward. A redoubtable woman of enormous energy and tremendous vision, she made a huge contribution to the success of the Friends. She staged plays and concerts and enticed illustrious people such as John Masefield, Sir Adrian Boult, Gustav Holst, Dorothy L. Sayers and Dame Myra Hess to the Cathedral. Rudyard Kipling and George Bernard Shaw became enthusiastic members.
Margaret Babington, the energy behind the Friends when it started, handed over her baton to many other stewards and executive secretaries, all of whom have put their own stamp on the efforts of the Friends, and made it the successful charity and membership organisation it is today.
Over the years The Friends have given the equivalent of more than £15 million towards various projects to enhance and preserve Canterbury Cathedral.
Our President is The Lord Archbishop of Canterbury. Prior to her death, Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was our First Friend on the Roll, and the former Prince of Wales was our Patron.
Upcoming Friends events
Saturday 15 June, 18:00 in the Nave
The Friends of Canterbury Cathedral present: D-Day Commemoration Concert from the RBL Central Band
Join us for a spectacular celebration of the music of World War Two to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day, the 80th anniversary of the Central Band of the Royal British Legion, and the 200th Anniversary of the Royal National Lifeboat Institute.
Music will feature the sounds of songs made famous by Dame Vera Lynn, Eric Coates, The Sounds of Richard Rogers, Ladies in Lavender, ABBA Gold and more...
Tickets: Adults £22, Children (under 12) £12 (Incl. £2 booking fee per ticket)
This concert is a charity fundraising event in support of The Friends of Canterbury Cathedral. Registered Charity No 256575.
Tues 25 June, 14:30 in the Clagett Auditorium
TALK: Coffee and Coffee Houses: following the stream of coffee from Arabian discovery to Georgian London
Popular speaker Terrie Chrones, food historian and member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals, returns to talk to Friends about the rise of coffee from the Ottoman empire to London’s early coffee houses frequented by the likes of Jacobite plotters, Pepys, and Samuel Johnson.
Tickets: £8 Friends of Canterbury Cathedral, £10 non-members, includes tea and coffee
This event is supported by The Friends of Canterbury Cathedral (Registered Charity No 256575).
Giving to the Friends
Please consider making a donation to The Friends to ensure we can continue our work in preserving the Cathedral for generations to come.
- Make a donation online via JustGiving
- Call +44 (0)1227 865292 to donate over the telephone by credit or debit card.
- Send a gift by post to: The Friends’ Office, 3 The Precincts, Canterbury CT1 2EE. Please make cheques payable to ‘The Friends of Canterbury Cathedral’.
- Make a regular gift by standing order by downloading and completing our standing order form and returning it to the Friends’ Office.
Why not give a gift in memory of someone special?
Please let us have the person’s name when you send us your donation and we will record this gift in our annual publication, The Chronicle.
Leave a gift in your will
You can make a real difference to our work and provide valuable support for future generations to come by leaving a gift to The Friends of Canterbury Cathedral in your will. Nearly all legacies to charities are free from inheritance tax.
A possible form of words for such bequests is:
I bequeath to The Friends of Canterbury Cathedral, 3 The Precincts, Canterbury, Kent CT1 2EE, registered charity number 256575, the sum of … (for a specific sum) or the residue (or a … share of the residue) of my estate.
Stay in the loop
Sign up to our newsletter and stay up to date with all the latest events, news and offers
By adding my email I confirm my subscription to the newsletter and understand that the email address provided will be held by the Cathedral and the email service company (dotdigital) to use for distributing this newsletter only. For more information please see the Cathedral Privacy Notice.
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