coventry-cathedral-investors-in-hope-2

INVESTORS
IN HOPE

A PLACE
FOR
PEACE
“BLESSED ARE THE
PEACEMAKERS,
FOR THEY WILL BE CALLED
CHILDREN OF GOD.”
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Coventry Cathedral is an
extraordinary place, dedicated
to inspiring and bringing
reconciliation, hope and peace.
We are looking for those
committed to supporting this
iconic place, and enabling our
inspirational work to continue and
flourish in the years ahead.
We believe in harnessing the power of the past to build peace for the
future. Coventry Cathedral’s unique calling as a catalyst for peace and
reconciliation was born out of the Coventry Blitz in the Second World
War. Our incredible building is a living symbol of a city’s pain powerfully
transformed to build hope, embedded in the heart of a community
that suffered much but responded with courage, determination and
forgiveness. This is key to all the work we do.
The morning after the old Cathedral was destroyed by bombing, Provost
Howard stood among the ruins and made a commitment to rebuild,
saying in the following weeks, ‘hard as it may be, we are seeking to
banish all thoughts of revenge’. With the words ‘Father Forgive’ carved
deep into the stone of the ruined apse, there began a process which led
to the building of the new Cathedral alongside the ruins of the old. Since
then Coventry Cathedral has become recognised across the world as a
uniquely powerful symbol of peace and reconciliation.
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WE BELIEVE IN
HARNESSING
THE POWER
OF THE PAST
TO BUILD
PEACE FOR
THE FUTURE.
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A PEOPLE
FOR
PEACE
WE WANT TO KEEP OUR ARMS AND
DOORS WIDE OPEN –
WELCOMING ALL,
RECONCILING WITH ALL,
KEEPING FAITH WITH ALL.
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However, the Cathedral is much more than a building. It is the spiritual
home to a people of reconciliation. The Community of the Cross of Nails
takes its name from the simple cross made from nails taken from the
destroyed building, and now has over 200 partner organisations across
30 countries.
Coventry Cathedral has pioneered ways of enabling people to work
together despite their differences, working with those differences
towards a shared future. Out of the destruction we have found ways of
making friends with those who were once enemies. Standing together
with those friends – especially in Dresden and Berlin – we have been
able to help others reimagine a future in which they too can stand side by
side. Our expertise in theologically-inspired conflict resolution is sought
after locally, nationally and internationally. Our heritage and our future are
rooted in those words ‘Father forgive’.
We are open-hearted and exclude nobody from our community, with our
inclusive vision and heartfelt mission. We want to keep our arms and
doors wide open – welcoming all, reconciling with all, keeping faith with
all.
• Healing the Wounds of History
• Learning to Live with Difference and to Celebrate Diversity
• Building a Culture of Peace
These are our priorities, which are embraced by those from all faiths
and none.
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A PROCESS
FOR
PEACE
THE INSPIRATION PROVIDED BY
OUR ICONIC BUILDINGS, IS ALWAYS
NEEDED AND NEVER-ENDING
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I WANT TO CALL IT ‘NEW
COVENTRY’ AS IT WILL BE A
PLACE FOR PEOPLE TO LEARN
ABOUT RECONCILIATION,
DIGNITY AND TO VALUE
HUMAN RIGHTS.
Peace isn’t a permanent state – it has to be worked at constantly.
Reconciling individuals, communities, nations is a long process that needs
courage, resilience and above all, hope. So our work, and the inspiration
provided by our iconic buildings, is always needed and never-ending.
One of our international peace prize winners, Therese Mapenzi from the
DRC, was so moved by our work of reconciliation, and inspired by the
words, ‘Father, forgive’, that she now talks of creating transformation in
her war torn country by building a ‘new Coventry’ in the DRC. “I want
to call it ‘New Coventry’ as it will be a place for people to learn about
reconciliation, dignity and to value human rights. It’s a memorial that will
be built by the community and for the community. As the community
builds this memorial together so we can learn from each other and say
to the rest of the country that we don’t want the violence to be repeated
again here.”
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One of our CCN partners,
a military chaplaincy in the
Netherlands wrote,
“We realize how special it is to pray
the Litany in a military area. It is
extraordinary to pray for the coming
of his peaceable Kingdom, wearing
a military uniform! We wish to be
a part of the CCN as network of
Churches and Christian organisations
who share a common commitment to
work and pray for peace, justice and
reconciliation, inspired by the story of
Coventry Cathedral.”
In a recent interview, Archbishop
of Canterbury Justin Welby said,
“It’s the desire of my heart to find ways
in which we can transform destructive
violent conflict into peaceful
disagreement and diversity. So I carry
with me in my mind the image of
Christ in glory behind the high altar
at Coventry and in my heart there is
that memory of sitting in my stall at
evensong on the days before I travelled
to somewhere dangerous and difficult
feeling sick and frightened and looking
at the man standing between the feet
of Jesus – overshadowed by (despite
being unable to see) the Christ who
protected him.”
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Standing alongside the splendour of
Basil Spence’s new Cathedral, the
ruins of the old Cathedral, bombed
in 1940, are open to the public every
day. A local business woman, using
the ruins as a shortcut, and coming
across the Litany of Reconciliation
being prayed, was moved to tears and
said that, although she has no faith,
her experience of hearing the Litany in
the setting of the ruins will lead her to
rethink how she does business.
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A PARTN ER
FOR
PEACE
IN ORDER TO STAND ALONGSIDE
OTHERS, WE NEED OTHERS TO
STAND ALONGSIDE US.
Coventry Cathedral is firmly rooted in the real world. Because the real
world is often unforgiving, our inspirational presence, together with the
work and witness that flow from it, are in constant demand. But the world
is also unforgiving materially and financially. Even a building as evocative
and much-loved as ours faces maintenance concerns and money worries.
These issues are now coming to a head – which is why we are looking for
some very special people whom we’re going to call Coventry Cathedral’s
‘Investors in Hope’.
We need an additional £300,000 each year to enable us simply to keep
the doors open, the lights on, and the work and witness alive. To help us
sustain our vital work month in, month out, we are inviting our ‘Investors in
Hope’ to join our committed giving scheme.
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Every ‘Coventry Cathedral: Investor in Hope’ will automatically become
a Friend of Coventry Cathedral and receive the benefits given to
members. But much more importantly, every Investor can be confident
that they are making a really significant contribution to the life of this
extraordinary place, to the extraordinary people that work here, and to the
extraordinarily powerful process of peace and reconciliation – in the city
of Coventry, in the UK, and across the world.
A ‘Coventry Cathedral: Investor in Hope’ commits a regular monthly
payment – anything from £5 per month, with no upper limit. And through
Gift Aid the value of your contribution is, of course, automatically
increased.
Will you stand with us and be a catalyst – for peace, for reconciliation
and for hope in our communities and our world? Will you help us not only
literally to keep the lights on here, but also help us to keep being a light
to the world?
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EVEN A BUILDING
AS EVOCATIVE
AND MUCH-LOVED
AS OURS FACES
MAINTENANCE
CONCERNS AND
MONEY WORRIES.
INVESTORS IN HOPE IS OPEN TO
THOSE GIVING FROM ONLY £5.00
PER MONTH, WITH NO UPPER LIMIT.
THOSE WHO DONATE WILL RECEIVE
MANY BENEFITS, INCLUDING:
• Membership of Friends of the Cathedral
• Entry to the Cathedral for themselves and a friend at any time
without having to pay an entrance fee
• Invitations to select social and cultural activities throughout
the year.
• Regular news updates about the life and work of the cathedral
generous donations of £10,000 or above will also receive —
• Recognition throughout the Cathedral’s public presence
(the building, website and printed publications).
• Invitations to select social and cultural events throughout the
year, with the opportunity to arrange bespoke
receptions alongside the existing events programme.
• Preferential service, rates and access for booking corporate
events at the Cathedral.
GIFT AID TERMS AND CONDITIONS
To qualify for Gift Aid, you must pay an amount of Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax at least equal to the tax that the
Cathedral and any other charities and Community Amateur Sports Clubs you donate to reclaim on your donations in the
appropriate tax year (currently 25p for each £1 given)*. Other taxes such as Council Tax and VAT do not qualify.
1. You can cancel this declaration at any time by notifying the Cathedral’s Fundraising Team.
2. If in the future, your circumstances change and you no longer pay tax on your income and capital gains equal to the tax that
the Cathedral reclaims, you can cancel your Declaration.
3. If you pay tax at the higher rate, you can claim further tax relief in your Self-Assessment tax return.
4. If you are unsure whether your donations qualify for Gift Aid tax relief, ask the Cathedral Fundraising Team or refer to help
sheet IR65 on the HMRC website at www.hmrc.gov.uk.
5. Please notify the Cathedral if you change your name or address.
*Gift Aid is linked to basic rate tax. Basic rate tax is currently 20%, which allows charities to reclaim 25p on each £1. Higher
rate tax payers can claim back the difference between basic and higher rate tax.
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COVENTRY
CATHED RAL
INVESTORS IN HOPE
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR DECIDING TO
STAND WITH US AND SUSTAIN US AS AN
ICON AND CATALYST FOR PEACE, FOR
RECONCILIATION AND FOR HOPE. PLEASE
COMPLETE THIS FORM TO RECORD YOUR
PLEDGE, SO WE CAN KEEP YOU INFORMED
ABOUT OUR ON-GOING WORK.
I am a
business
individual
Name/Business Name
Address & Postcode
Phone Number (optional)
Email Address
I pledge to make a gift of
monthly
yearly
Commencing
To setup your own standing order:
HSBC, 55 Corporation Street, Coventry CVI IQJ
Account: Coventry Cathedral Account No: 20248673 Sort Code: 40 - 18 -17
Please keep me
in touch by:
email post phone
Signed & date
I am a UK tax payer
Signed & date
GIFT AID (for individuals only )
If you are a UK tax payer the Cathedral can claim an extra 25p from the Government for
every £1 you donate and no extra cost to you (only applies to individuals).
By confirming, you acknowledge that you have read the terms on the previous page,
and that if you pay less income tax and/or capital gains tax than the amount of Gift Aid
claimed on all my donations in that tax year, it is my responsibility to pay the difference.
if you would like to ask us to set up your regular gift with your bank,
please request a standing order form from the address below
Once completed, please return to:
Fundraising Department, Coventry Cathedral, 1 Hill Top, Coventry, CV1 5AB
Individuals may also sign up online by going to http://tiny.cc/ihform

Our bank details for bank payments or to set
up a standing order:
HSBC Bank, Coventry City Branch.
Name: Coventry Cathedral
Sort Code: 401817
Account no. 20248673
Thank you very much for your support!
Please return this form when completed to:
Fundraising Department,
Coventry Cathedral,
1 Hill Top,
Coventry
CV1 5AB
Cover photo of Coventry Cathedral from
‘The English Cathedral’
published 2012 by Merrell Publishers
Image Credit Peter Marlow/Magnum Photos
Design of Publication:
Paperjamdesign.com