Governance

Good governance is important to ensure that the Cathedral is well maintained for future generations and that everyone who visits the Cathedral enters a safe and flourishing environment.

The corporate body of Blackburn Cathedral is the Chapter, which comprises of up to five Executive members (including the Dean and the two Residentiary Canons) and up to eight Non-Executive members (two-thirds of whom must be lay people).

Members of Chapter are Trustees of The Cathedral Church of St Mary The Virgin Blackburn for the purposes of charity law. Non-Executive members of Chapter are appointed by the other members of the Chapter. The Bishop of Blackburn appoints one Non-Executive member to serve as the Senior Non-Executive member.

Blackburn Cathedral is regulated by the Cathedrals Measure 2021. Our constitution and statutes can be viewed below.

The Chapter’s annual reports set out in detail the rich and varied nature of the life and work of our Cathedral and these, together with our audited annual accounts, can also be viewed below.

The College of Canons, a body made up of lay and ordained people appointed by The Bishop, provides feedback on policy decisions made by Chapter and considers ways in which the Cathedral can extend its mission into the wider work of the Diocese.

Blackburn Cathedral Chapter

As Senior Priest within the Diocese of Blackburn, Peter is a member of the Bishop’s Leadership Team and is responsible for the oversight and leadership of Blackburn Cathedral. Prior to ordination Peter held a senior position in a private sector company arranging tours for musicians worldwide.

He is currently on the Board of a number of national Charities and Chair of Medic Malawi delivering partnership support in the areas of health care, education and sustainable community projects. Peter is married to Siân and they have four grown up children.

Before moving to Blackburn to take up the role of Canon Precentor, Jenny spent 10 years as Priest in Charge of the Hayling Island Parishes of St Andrew’s, St Mary’s and St Peter’s. Before that she was the Bishop’s Chaplain in Portsmouth Diocese.

As Precentor, Jenny has primary responsibility in all matters relating to worship, liturgy and music on behalf of Chapter. She shares in the strategic and spiritual oversight of the wider Cathedral community with a particular focus on the choristers and choir families.

David is a Chartered Accountant and was a partner at KPMG for 26 years before retiring in 2022. He is a member of the Finance Committee of The Blackburn Diocesan Board of Finance and until recently was Deputy Chair and trustee of Keswick Ministries.

David is a Lay-Canon at Blackburn Cathedral and a Licensed Lay-Minister at St Chad's Church, Poulton-Le-Fylde, where he is a member of the PCC and a home group bible-study leader. David is married to Lee and they have three grown-up daughters.

Andrew is the Head of Chaplaincy & Spiritual Care Services at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust where he has been since 2005. Between 2016 and 2020 he was a Residentiary Canon (Canon Pastor) at Blackburn Cathedral. He is an Honorary Canon & Canon Emeritus of the Cathedral.

Andrew is County Chaplain to the Order of St John and St John Ambulance; The Order of St Lazarus and a Chaplain to the Royal British Legion. He is a member of the Diocesan Board of Finance and Bishop's Council and also currently Chair of the Nominations Committee on behalf of Chapter.

James is the Canon Missioner and before moving to Blackburn in December 2022, was the Assistant Priest at an Episcopal Church in New York. James has experience in growing churches and in organisational transformation.

He is currently working on his PhD at the University of Oxford where he is writing a theology of technology. He has previously served as a trustee for a homeless charity based in Leeds. James is married to Hannah, and they have a son and a daughter.

Naomi is the headteacher at St. John’s C.E. (VA) Primary School in Cliviger, a role she has held since 2010. She is a governor at St James C.E. (VA) Lanehead Primary in Burnley, where she leads on safeguarding and PE. In addition to her school leadership roles, Naomi contributes to the wider educational community as a member of the Burnley School Sports Partnership Steering Group, where she is responsible for the delivery and quality assurance of PE across all Burnley schools.

Naomi is involved in her local church where she has served as a church warden, led Sunday School, and was the church organist for 25 years. Naomi is also involved in scouting and she holds the Queens Scout Award and, in her spare time, Naomi is the Beaver Scout Leader at 2nd Ramsbottom Scout Group. Naomi is married to John, and they have two children.

Marion is a parishioner of Lancaster Priory. She is the former Academic Registrar of the University of Lancaster, and currently Honorary Archivist and Honorary University Fellow. She is also Honorary General Secretary of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society, founded in 1866.

Keith has been involved with the cathedral for ten years, initially as parent of a chorister. He is married to Helen, and they have three (now grown up) boys. He trained as a Chartered Accountant, qualifying back in 1985 and is presently senior partner with a local firm of accountants.

Janet worships in the east of Lancashire where she lives with her husband, Richard and their two children. She is an accomplished Criminal Justice executive with extensive senior leadership experience in His Majesty's Prison and Probation Service. She brings proven expertise in governance, risk management, and strategic leadership to executive roles. Janet excels in collaborative working and stakeholder engagement, with a strong track record of delivering results in complex environments.

Committed to public service beyond her professional role, Janet actively contributes to voluntary initiatives in her local community. Janet's dedication was recognised with an OBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours 2021 for services to the Probation Service and community work.

Ian is the Chapter Clerk. He has a background of private and public sector roles in education, training and economic development. He has worked in various locations across the world, most recently in Brussels.

He was Chair of the House of Laity for the Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf and has been a member of the Foundation at Canterbury Cathedral for 40 years. As a former Lay Clerk, Ian enjoys singing and music making of all kinds.