Latest news from the Lantern
Visit the news section of our website for the latest updates from the Cathedral Lantern Project, which plays an increasingly central role in the Cathedral’s daily life.
Find out moreOctober & November 2025 – Before planning your visit, please see our ‘Visitor Notices’ page for any temporary changes to opening hours and accessibility updates. Click here to visit.
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NEWCASTLE CATHEDRAL
NEWCASTLE CATHEDRAL
A BEACON OF LIGHT
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.
Recent and ongoing projects
Homelessness Ambassadors (Ongoing)
Our Homelessness volunteers draw on their lived experience and understanding of trauma and complex needs. They offer a compassionate and non-judgemental presence, providing a listening ear and meaningful support to our many visitors who are experiencing homelessness or other significant challenges.
Speaking Up Together (Ongoing)
Speaking Up Together is a self-advocacy group led by and for adults with learning disabilities and autism, which meets regularly at the Cathedral. With support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the group explored the Cathedral’s rich history through a recent creative project called ‘Access: Newcastle Cathedral’ and an accompanying exhibition.
Her Circle exhibition (March 2025)
Her Circle is a supportive Newcastle-based community for women who experience complex motherhood. In March 2025, a group of women presented a powerful exhibition, ‘A Story of Hope’, supported by Newcastle City Council, Newcastle City Learning (Funded by North East Combined Authority) and Digital Voice for Communities.
Recovery Church (2022-2025)
Recovery Church welcomes people of all denominations who are in recovery from addictions, including drugs and alcohol. The group met regularly at the Cathedral from 2022 to 2025. They now meet at Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle, and we wish them every blessing as we continue to sign post toward their services.
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.