The Dean of Gloucester receives honorary award

The Very Reverend Stephen Lake, Dean of Gloucester, has received an Honorary Fellowship from the University of Gloucestershire at the Cathedral.

Appointed as Dean four years ago, he and his colleagues are responsible for the Cathedral Chapter, the Cathedral’s governing body.

Raising the profile of the building and its community, his stewardship has seen nationally lauded sculpture exhibition Crucible 2 and hospitality to players in the Rugby World Cup at the Cathedral. The Dean is keen to develop links between the Cathedral and wider community of all faiths and none.

In presenting him his award, Stephen Marston, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Gloucestershire, said: “The award of an Honorary Fellowship to Stephen is both a recognition of his effectiveness as a faith leader, as custodian of this cathedral and as a major contributor to the life of this city and also an expression of confidence in the growing relationship between the University and both the City of Gloucester and its Cathedral.”

The Dean, who also chairs the Gloucester City Regeneration Advisory Board, said: “This is an absolute privilege for someone who never had the chance to attend university, and to have the Fellowship presented in my own cathedral is going to be a day I shall never forget. I receive it in recognition of all the good things that are going on in Gloucester and at the cathedral, which so many people are making happen as a great team effort.”

Every year, the University confers honorary awards on distinguished individuals who have made an outstanding contribution locally, nationally or internationally or who have supported the University in some way.

They join around 2,500 graduating students at ceremonies in Cheltenham and Gloucester.