Pupils from all over the Lichfield Diocese met at Lichfield Cathedral this week for the ‘Adopt a Gargoyle’ prize-giving ceremony, following a schools’ fundraising initiative. At the end of 2011, Lichfield Cathedral and the Lichfield Diocese Board of Education asked school children to become involved with fundraising for the cathedral’s East End Appeal, by engaging primary school pupils in creative writing, poetry and art projects. The judges were very impressed with the high calibre of the work produced and enjoyed receiving imaginative stories, unusual gargoyle names and excellent artwork as entries for the competition.

This week, the 14 winning pupils from the 427 parishes of the Lichfield Diocese, spent a day at the cathedral for the official ‘Adopt A Gargoyle’ prize-giving. The special day saw pupils meeting the Acting Dean and Canon Chancellor of the cathedral, Canon Pete Wilcox and the Diocesan Director of Education, Colin Hopkins. Canon Pete and Colin presented pupils with certificates, badges, framed photos of the gargoyles and goody bags. The pupils, accompanied by head teachers and teachers from their schools, also enjoyed a guided tour of the building and of course enjoy party food and cakes to celebrate their success.

The initiative, headed up by the Director of Fundraising, Patricia Collins and Sue Blackmore, the Lichfield Diocese Schools’ Advisor, was tailored to meet the needs of the curriculum, as well as spark the imagination of pupils around the Lichfield Diocese.

The competition entries will be archived in the cathedral’s 15th century library, alongside our other cathedral treasures, and will help future generations gain a better understanding of how young people related to the cathedral in the twenty first century.

Pupils from five schools attended the event, including Holy Trinity CE Primary School (Burton Upon Trent), Christchurch Academy (Stone). St Peter’s CE Primary (Stonnall), Knutton St Mary’s CE Primary (Knutton) and All Saints CE Primary (Rangemore).

In the last few years the East End of Lichfield Cathedral has undergone a major programme of essential repairs to its stonework and conservation of its unique 16th century painted glass. The project is now in its final phases and to help raise the balance of the money for the restoration work, Lichfield Cathedral, in partnership with the Lichfield Diocese Board of Education, is asking for support from schools for the East End Appeal via the Adopt a Gargoyle project.