Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence to attend special service at Gloucester Cathedral

Gloucester Cathedral and the Diocese of Gloucester are looking forward to welcoming HRH The Princess Royal, and Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, to the service of thanksgiving on Monday 8 May.

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The service, which will take place in the Cathedral from 11am, is part of the ‘The Big Help Out Day’, a nationwide initiative that aims to raise awareness of volunteering throughout the UK. Alongside celebrating the Coronation of The King and The Queen Consort, the focus of the service will be to give thanks to volunteers in our city, county and diocese who do so much to help others.  From school governors, hospital drivers and Cathedral volunteers through to Churchwardens and Scouts leaders, day-to-day life wouldn’t be possible without their hard work and generosity.

As part of the service, the Bishop of Gloucester and the Bishop of Tewkesbury will be interviewing several volunteers from local organisations and there will also be a performance by young people from Gloucester-based charity, The Music Works.

The Right Reverend Rachel Treweek, Bishop of Gloucester, said:

“It is a great honour and delight that The Princess Royal and Sir Timothy Laurence will be with us at the Cathedral on the day of the Big Help Out, as we celebrate the Coronation of The King and The Queen Consort and highlight the positive impact of volunteers across our local communities. It will be a chance to thank all those who volunteer, and hopefully inspire others to give volunteering a go.”

The Very Reverend Andrew Zihni, Dean of Gloucester, added:

“We are delighted that The Princess Royal and Sir Timothy Laurence will be joining us at the Cathedral for the service on 8 May. Following the examples of The King and The Queen Consort, and Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, The Princess Royal has through her own role brought much hope, strength and support to communities both in this country and in the Commonwealth. Her presence with us at the service on 8 May will bring joy and encouragement to all the volunteers whose wonderful work we shall be celebrating.”

Members of the public are warmly invited to attend this special service of thanksgiving, which promises to be a fun, joyful and memorable occasion. People are asked to register their attendance in advance via the Cathedral website.