Sheffield Cathedral is delighted to share its new five-year strategy with supporters, visitors, and the congregation—a bold, hope-filled vision for the next chapter in the life of the Cathedral and the city it serves.
Rooted in daily prayer and worship, the strategy sets out how the Cathedral will grow as a confident, joyful and inclusive Christian community in the heart of Sheffield. It focuses on three key objectives that reflect the Cathedral’s mission to be truly a place for all people:
1. To be a confident, joyful, growing Christian community in the heart of Sheffield, pioneering new ways of worship and deepening faith across the Diocese.
2. To develop and embed a nationally renowned Schools Singing Programme, reaching the most economically deprived areas across the Diocese and inspiring children and young people through the joy of music and education.
3. To deepen partnerships, prioritising the Cathedral’s relationship with the Archer Project, working together to serve the most vulnerable members of our community.
In addition to these priorities, the strategy highlights ambitious plans to explore transforming Old St George’s Chapel into a dedicated learning centre - a space for schools, students, heritage groups, adult learners and musicians to engage with the Cathedral’s story through workshops and discovery.
The strategy also introduces a renewed focus on the Cathedral’s “engine room”: development and fundraising, events and enterprise, and education — the practical foundations that will sustain and grow its mission over the next five years.
The Very Reverend Abi Thompson, Dean of Sheffield, said:
“Here at Sheffield Cathedral, we hope that you will experience a deep feeling of warmth and welcome — a lasting commitment to joyful encounters with every stranger and friend who enters our doors. Our new strategy, A Place for All People, is about deepening that welcome: growing in faith, serving our community, and using our position at the heart of the city to make a real difference. Over the next five years we will strengthen our partnership with the Archer Project, expand our Schools Singing Programme to reach more children across the region, and continue building a Cathedral that truly belongs to everyone’’
The new strategy positions Sheffield Cathedral as a hope-filled and dynamic centre of worship, learning, music and community action — a place that reflects the diversity, resilience and creativity of the city itself.
Read the full Sheffield Cathedral Strategy 2025–2030: A Place for All People here.