History

how the friends started

The Friends of Canterbury Cathedral was founded in 1927 by the distinguished scholar and poet Dean George Allen Kennedy Bell who later became Bishop of Chichester. The organization was the first of its kind in the world.

In 1928 Miss Margaret Babington joined Dean Bell as Steward to The Friends. A redoubtable woman of enormous energy and tremendous vision, she made a huge contribution to the success of the Friends.  She staged plays and concerts and enticed illustrious people such as John Masefield, Sir Adrian Boult, Gustav Holst, Dorothy L. Sayers and Dame Myra Hess to the Cathedral.  Rudyard Kipling and George Bernard Shaw became enthusiastic members.

Margaret Babington, the energy behind the Friends when it started, handed over her baton to many other stewards and executive secretaries, all of whom have put their own stamp on the efforts of the Friends, and made membership appealing, important and active – and the successful charity it is today.

The Executive Secretary today is Ms Pam Doyle who has been here since 1998.