The Cathedral Lantern Project

In centuries gone by, a fire was lit in the Cathedral’s Lantern Tower to act as a beacon for boats navigating their way up the River Tyne at night. Today, the Cathedral Lantern Project (formerly the Lantern Initiative) acts as a beacon of hope at the heart of the city, working alongside people experiencing dark or difficult circumstances by meeting individuals where they are and building reciprocal relationships of trust.

The Cathedral Lantern Project is rooted in the Cathedral’s core values: Radical Welcome, Inspiring Worship and Empowering Worth.

In recent years, the Cathedral has played a growing role in responding to prison leavers, people who are seeking asylum, those who are sleeping rough, people struggling with problematic drug and alcohol use, and/or poor mental and physical health.

The Cathedral Lantern Project was established in 2021 to respond in practical ways to its many visitors who, for whatever reason, struggle to access support and are often disconnected from support services.

This video from February 2024 illustrates our approaches to working with the Cathedral’s visitors, and groups and individuals within the wider city and Diocese…

Ongoing projects

The Lantern Approach

The Cathedral Lantern Project operates through four key approaches:

• Practical Support – We provide a listening ear, signposting and/or accompanying individuals to access support and services within the city. This includes assistance with GP registration, counselling, debt advice, addiction services, housing support, and benefits advice.

• Personal Engagement & Empowerment – We aim to enhance self-worth and self-confidence, often leading to co-produced projects with those who have lived experience, as well as opportunities for volunteering and employment. For example, members of Recovery Church volunteer at the Cathedral and other locations, co-deliver training sessions, and gain work experience and employment through Café 16 in the Cathedral Refectory and The Oswin Project.

• Justice Seeking – We highlight and challenge injustices faced by those individuals we walk in solidarity with. This includes hosting city-wide events to raise awareness about drug-related deaths and showcasing the Story Chair, which involves women with experience in the criminal justice system.

• Spiritual Nurture – Recognising the spiritual dimension in all of us, as emphasised in the Twelve Steps Programme (a set of guiding principles for recovery from addiction), we offer spiritual retreats for the recovery community (including ‘Oaktrees’, a locally commissioned recovery and rehab service), meditations, services, and workshops for both clients and staff of recovery and rehab services.