The Edmund Lectures: A Very British Scandal
- Next Event
- 30th October 7:30pm
- Event Finishes
- 30th October 9:30pm
About this event
This October and November will feature Big Issues: The Edmund Lectures 2024 – a series of lectures by internationally renowned experts on some of the big issues that challenge our lives as we continue to navigate the 21st Century.
“A Very British Scandal” – Mark Russell
Wednesday 30 October at 7.00pm
Mark Russell was appointed as Chief Executive of The Children’s Society in 2019 and leads a team of 750 staff and 6,000 volunteers. He is passionately committed to social justice and fighting for children and young people to feel hopeful and happy.
Why do so many British children live in poverty? Why do they have the lowest well-being rates in Europe? Over four million children in this country live in poverty. Many are open to exploitation, poor mental health, and vulnerable to online abuse. How might we contribute to a society which cares for our children and young people better. In this talk, Mark will help us to understand how we can help and hope, and how politics can create change.
Free to attend, but please book.
Mark Russell grew up in Northern Ireland and read Law at Queen’s University Belfast. He has 10 years’ experience as a youth worker, supporting young people in England and Northern Ireland. In 1999, Mark was awarded the ‘British Gas Tomorrow’s People Award’ for his cross-community work, bringing Catholic and Protestant young people together across Northern Ireland in the run up to the Good Friday Agreement. Before joining The Children’s Society Mark served as Chief Executive of Church Army for almost 13 years. Mark has been a Trustee of The Archbishops’ Council of the Church of England and has served as Chair of The Marylebone Project, the largest women-only homeless project in the UK. Mark is Honorary Canon of Southwark Cathedral and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts. Mark is from County Armagh in Northern Ireland and attended Queen’s University in Belfast.
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About the Venue
For over 1,000 years, the site of Suffolk ’s Cathedral has been one of worship and pilgrimage.
The death of Edmund, King of the East Angles, at the hands of the Danes in 869 led to the building of an abbey to house his remains. St James’s Church was built within the precincts of the Abbey, becoming a Cathedral in 1914. The Cathedral building has continued to develop over recent years with the addition of the Millennium Tower, completed in 2005, and its magnificent painted and gilded vault, added in 2010. In 2009 the Cathedral changed its dedication to become the Cathedral Church of St James and St Edmund.
Visitors are welcome to look around the Cathedral on their own. Entry is free but donations gratefully received. A free introductory leaflet is available in English, Dutch, French, German, Italian, and Polish. Visitors are most welcome to attend any of the daily services.
Guided Tours of the Cathedral run Monday to Saturday at 11am from the font from April to October. Tickets can be purchased at the Cathedral Shop. Occasionally a tour may have to be cancelled if another event is taking place in the Cathedral. If you are travelling some distance, please do ring the Cathedral office to check. These tours last approx 1 hour and cost £6 per person (under 16s free).
St Edmundsbury Cathedral Tower Tours - Experience a fascinating behind-the-scenes tour of St Edmundsbury Cathedral's Millennium Tower with fun and knowledgeable guides. Explore heady heights with amazing views from the top of the tower, the highest point in Bury St Edmunds! Don’t forget your camera!
St Edmund Statue by Dame Elisabeth Frink - A trip to Bury St Edmunds would not be complete without a photo of the iconic St Edmund statue by Dame Elisabeth Frink. The statue can be found outside in the Great Churchyard of the Cathedral.
Cathedral Lego Project - St Edmundsbury Cathedral has launched an ambitious project to recreate the Cathedral out of 200,000 LEGO bricks! Visitors can see the Lego Cathedral being built before their eyes and donate a brick to be part of this amazing project. The Lego Cathedral is located in the South West corner of St Edmundsbury Cathedral. Opening times may vary based on volunteer availability.
The Ancient Library - The Ancient Library was founded by Dr Miles Mosse in 1595 as a resource for clergy training. There are over 550 books, mainly printed in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The library, in a room over the north-west porch designed by Stephen Dykes Bower in 1960, has bookcases made by Leonard Goff in 2004. If you would like to visit the library, please contact the librarian through the Cathedral Office on visits@stedscathedral.org or 01284 748730.
Pilgrim's Kitchen - after touring the Cathedral why not relax with a cuppa at the Cathedral's cafe?
