Sponsors Announced for Abbey 1000 Celebrations in Bury St Edmunds

The sponsors were announced at a launch at Bury St Edmunds Guildhall in Guildhall Street on Thursday (February 10).

More than £60,000 of sponsorship and in-kind contributions has been raised for the celebrations from commercial companies by Abbey 1000 C.I.C., which is organising the celebrations.

The celebrations will be funded by the generous sponsorship, together with a Heritage Grant of £99,200 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and support of £50,000 from Bury St Edmunds Town Council and £31,000 from West Suffolk Council.

In Medieval times, the Abbey of St Edmund was one of the richest, largest and most powerful Benedictine monasteries in England. People came from all over England and Europe to visit the Shrine of St Edmund and it became one of the most famous and wealthy pilgrimage locations in England, visited by royalty.

The town will celebrate the founding of the Abbey of St Edmund by King Cnut 1000 years ago with a year of special events which started on St Edmund’s Day, Saturday 20 November 2021, and culminating on the Saint’s feast day in 2022 (Sunday 20 November).

Abbey 1000 Sponsors Launch credit Phil Morley 4 BLOG

Libby Ranzetta, Chair of the Abbey 1000 C.I.C., who are coordinating the programme of events said: “Thanks to the generosity of so many local businesses and organisations we have an exciting and engaging programme of events to celebrate a thousand years of the abbey, with something for everyone to enjoy. We are grateful to all our sponsors for their support and look forward to a wonderful few months ahead as residents and visitors alike come together to enjoy Bury's fantastic heritage in this special year for us.”

Headline sponsors CLAAS UK, Greene King, and Treatt have each given £10,000.

Key highlights of the year are an exhibition on the Abbey at Moyse’s Hall Museum, an exhibition of manuscripts from the Abbey at St Edmundsbury Cathedral, a town centre Heritage Trail, a sculpture exhibition, travelling exhibition, a bioblitz, special anniversary tours, a concert by Suffolk Philharmonic Orchestra, pilgrimages, and a community day in the Abbey Gardens. To end the celebrations, there will be a Spectacle of Light in the Abbey Gardens over St Edmund’s Day weekend.

The celebrations are being coordinated by the Abbey 1000 C.I.C., alongside the Abbey of St Edmund Heritage Partnership. The group is made up of organisations in the town chaired by Libby Ranzetta, that include Abbey of St Edmund Heritage Partnership, Bury St Edmunds and Beyond, Bury St Edmunds Tour Guides, Bury St Edmunds Town Council, Bury St Edmunds Water Meadows Group, Greene King, Moyse's Hall Museum, Our Bury St Edmunds Business Improvement District, St Edmund’s RC Church, St Edmundsbury Cathedral, Suffolk Archives, The Bury Society, Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds, Treatt and West Suffolk Council.

Details of all the events planned as they are announced can be found at

www.abbeyofstedmund1000.co.uk

The sponsors are:

Headline Sponsors - CLAAS UK, Greene King, and Treatt.

Ashtons Legal

Boortmalt

JM Finn

Thomas Ridley Foodservice

Glasswells

Robinson Young

Smart Garden Offices