Minster School closure shows how loss of tourism is hurting county: The Yorkshire Post says

The Minster School, York. Picture Jonathan Gawthorpe.The Minster School, York. Picture Jonathan Gawthorpe.
The Minster School, York. Picture Jonathan Gawthorpe. | JPI Media Ltd Resell
If there were any remaining doubts about the far-reaching financial implications of coronavirus into every sector of the economy, the news that one of the oldest schools in the world is to close its doors here in Yorkshire this summer should dispel them.

The Minster School in York was originally opened in 627 by the first Archbishop of York, with the current prep school refounded in 1903.

The Chapter of York, the governing body of York Minster, has said the closure is down to a “catastrophic loss of visitor income” for the neighbouring cathedral – money which was vital to its funding of the school.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

With deep uncertainty as to when visitor numbers will return to anything like previous levels and a £5.2m financial shortfall facing The Chapter of York this year, it has been decided that its investment of £750,000 per year in the school is no longer viable.

As the Dean of York, the Right Rev Dr Jonathan Frost, notes, such difficult decisions are facing many independent preparatory schools across the country.

One small silver lining is that arrangements are being made for young choristers who attend the school to continue to be trained by York Minster’s Department of Music while the nearby St Peter’s School will now become the choir school of the Minster.

But that positive note cannot drown out both the similar fights for survival now facing many independent schools – as well as the clear example of the terrible economic impact being felt in Yorkshire from tourism to the region effectively being brought to a grinding halt by the pandemic.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Editor’s note: first and foremost - and rarely have I written down these words with more sincerity - I hope this finds you well.

Almost certainly you are here because you value the quality and the integrity of the journalism produced by The Yorkshire Post’s journalists - almost all of which live alongside you in Yorkshire, spending the wages they earn with Yorkshire businesses - who last year took this title to the industry watchdog’s Most Trusted Newspaper in Britain accolade.

And that is why I must make an urgent request of you: as advertising revenue declines, your support becomes evermore crucial to the maintenance of the journalistic standards expected of The Yorkshire Post. If you can, safely, please buy a paper or take up a subscription. We want to continue to make you proud of Yorkshire’s National Newspaper but we are going to need your help.

Postal subscription copies can be ordered by calling 0330 4030066 or by emailing [email protected]. Vouchers, to be exchanged at retail sales outlets - our newsagents need you, too - can be subscribed to by contacting subscriptions on 0330 1235950 or by visiting www.localsubsplus.co.uk where you should select The Yorkshire Post from the list of titles available.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

If you want to help right now, download our tablet app from the App / Play Stores. Every contribution you make helps to provide this county with the best regional journalism in the country.

Sincerely. Thank you.

James Mitchinson

Editor

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.

News you can trust since 1754
Follow us
©National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice