The recent report by the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) into the Anglican Church has highlighted the shameful extent to which the abuse of children in the Church of England was prevalent. The failure to take appropriate and decisive action led to a culture where victims were not heard and the vulnerable continually placed at risk.  

At the Cathedral we have recently experienced the devastating impact of a failure in safeguarding.  As a sign of repentance for our and the Church of England's failure to live the Gospel's call to protect the young, the defenceless and most vulnerable, the spire of the Cathedral will be lit purple for the next 5 days, the liturgical colour in the penitential seasons of Lent and Advent.   

If you have been affected in anyway by these matters, please get in contact, there is support available. 

You can find details for the Cathedral’s Safeguarding Adviser and other related information on our Safeguarding page here. 

For anyone who wants to talk to someone independently regarding a concern they have about something they have experienced in a church, now or in the past, they can contact the Safe Spaces helpline. 

Safe Spaces is an independent service supporting survivors of church-related abuse funded by the Church of England together with the Catholic Church in England and Wales and the Church in Wales. 

Call free on 0300 303 1056, or email: safespaces@victimsupport.org.uk or visit www.safespacesenglandandwales.org.uk/ 

Other organisations offering support can also be found on the national Church of England website here.