Carlisle Cathedral has been bathed in blue in support of our county’s key workers and the NHS.

The ancient building’s north and east faces were transformed on Thursday night from 8pm to 11pm with special messages of support projected onto the façades and roof.

It came as tens of thousands of people across Cumbria also took to their doorsteps to clap for carers as part of the weekly tribute to key workers.

The Canon Warden at Carlisle Cathedral, the Rev Canon Jan Kearton, said: “The Cathedral Chapter was very grateful to two local events companies for their generous offer to bathe the building in blue. The end result was stunning and represented a wonderful tribute to all our key workers.

“Currently the Cathedral and its precinct are closed to save lives and protect the NHS, but the Cathedral’s concern for our city and county continues in twice-daily prayer offered at home, and pastoral care for the sick, our congregation members and our staff.

“And this offered a further opportunity to say thank you for all that NHS and key workers are doing to heal and to support so many at this difficult time.”

The Cathedral Chapter worked in tandem with local laser tech engineer Lee Crellin from Just Beam It Lasers and lighting engineer James Phillips from SVL Hire Limited.

The teams spent a couple of hours on Thursday setting up the high powered projection equipment, whilst also maintaining social distancing throughout.

The installation included a moving heart beat monitor which was projected onto the Cathedral’s roof, alongside the messages ‘Thanks NHS’ and ‘#MakeItBlue’.

While, social distancing restrictions meant the event could not be promoted beforehand, pictures and film of the projection have since been shared on social media.

Lee Crellin, managing director of Just Beam It Lasers, has previously projected similar messages onto Carlisle’s Cumberland Infirmary.

He said: “I’ve wanted to project onto the Cathedral for some time and so we were delighted to have this opportunity. Everyone at the Cathedral was so helpful and the result looked fantastic.

“Obviously we in the events industry - along with so many others - are not able to work at the moment but we have all the equipment available to make this happen and so this is our small way of saying thank you to all those NHS staff and keyworkers. It also helps to lift people’s spirits.”

ENDS

For further information please contact Dave Roberts (07469 153658 or at communications@carlislediocese.org.uk) or the Very Rev’d Mark Boyling (01228 523335).