“I’m part of York Minster’s history and have put my stamp on it. One day, I can look back, and show my children and grandchildren what I have been part of.”

How did your career start at York Minster?

“From a young age, I had always wanted to become an electrician. As a child, I hated messy cables behind the television, so I think it grew from that! I had a friend working at the Minster as an apprentice, who told me there was an electrician apprenticeship coming up. I jumped at the opportunity! I started as an apprentice in 2011 and once I qualified, I continued at the Minster before becoming a lead electrician in 2019.”

How did you become facilities manager at York Minster?

“When I first started my career, I was eager to be on the tools and master my trade. Over the years, I then enjoyed watching how our past facilities managers would oversee other departments, which inspired me to want to go down the management path. Luckily the chance came up where I could do just that here at the Minster! I have been facilities manager since September 2021 and I’m loving it.”

“It’s certainly a tricky task balancing last minute requests with making sure larger projects are completed on time but it’s something I enjoy the challenge of!”

What does your role involve?

“I manage the gardeners, electricians, IT, and all external facilities – which could be anything from fire alarm companies to cleaning contractors. This includes making sure all mechanical, plumbing or electrical reports and data are compliant, checking any external contracts we have to provide the best possible service, and ensuring historic regulations are followed correctly throughout all work carried out.

“It’s a big role, as we don’t just look after the Minster building, but the buildings and grounds that form part of the entire Precinct.”

And what’s an average day-to-day look like?

“My main priority is making sure that any requests that come through from the Works Department are completed in a timely manner. This could be anything from a full rewiring of one of our properties, to more reactive support, for example if power is tripping or if we’ve had bad weather and the gardens need tidying.

“It’s certainly a tricky task balancing last minute requests with making sure larger projects are completed on time but it’s something I enjoy the challenge of!”

“I’m really excited that our team is going to have such exceptional facilities.”

What projects have you worked on at the Minster?

“My favourite project was working on the Grand Organ restoration, which is only done every 100 years. Working on an organ isn’t something your average electrician does! We did a full rewire and it was a real privilege to be part of.

“Another standout was in 2015 when we changed the lighting in the nave – the widest in Europe – from halogen lighting to an LED system. This is much more energy efficient and reduces energy bills. It was also a big step forward for York Minster being able to achieve an Eco Gold Church Award, which has been an ambition for many years. We’re aiming to achieve this by 2025 and it’ll be an important milestone in our sustainability journey. The planning took more than five years, before securing approval, and then it took about four to five months to complete.”

What are you excited to work on that’s coming up?

“Plans to establish the York Minster Precinct as a Centre of Excellence for Heritage Craft Skills and Estate Management is extremely exciting. This will include a revamped Works and Technology Hub, as well as brand new Heritage Quad, both providing new and improved facilities for our craftspeople at the Minster.

“I’m really excited that our team is going to have such exceptional facilities. What’s more, I’m going to be heavily involved in managing the teams who will be working on the new Works and Tech Hub, as well as looking after the refurbishment of our existing buildings as part of the project.”

“Investment in apprenticeships is hugely important to help us develop our next generation of craftspeople.”

How important is investment and education into skills like yours for maintaining buildings like York Minster?

“It’s critical. Any work carried out on historic buildings is always visible to the public, and there is a duty to maintain and conserve them correctly, so the standard of work must be the highest possible. Investment in apprenticeships is hugely important to help us develop our next generation of craftspeople, so that we can teach them on the job the traditional methods that have been used at York Minster for hundreds of years.

“Take our electricians for instance. We have to use pyro cables, which aren’t typically used in domestic buildings, as they are long lasting. They are harder to work on and more time consuming, so our electricians need to learn how to install them properly.”

What’s your favourite thing about working at the Minster?

“The fact I’m part of York Minster’s history and have put my stamp on it. One day, I can look back, and show my children and grandchildren what I have been part of.”

Find out more about other members of the team here.