The Institute
Westminster Abbey Institute aims to nurture and revitalise moral and spiritual values in public life and service. It seeks to replenish and sustain public servants of all faiths and none, and to celebrate and animate public service as a force for good.
The Institute draws on Westminster Abbey’s resources of spirituality and theological learning, rooted in its daily worshipping life and broader Christian tradition, to convene discussion, nourish reflection and inspire regeneration.
What we do
We focus our work in three core areas, in support of our wider purpose of Renewing faith in public life.
Fellowship
The Institute runs an annual Fellows’ Programme for public servants in, or moving into, senior leadership roles. Members of the programme are given the opportunity to develop as servant leaders, to gain an integrated understanding of a wide range of public service institutions and their values, to reflect deeply on the ethical challenges of public service, and to attend to the moral muscles required for public service leadership in a changing and demanding world.
Public programmes
Westminster Abbey Institute fosters meaningful dialogue on public life’s biggest questions, hosting thought-provoking programmes with inspiring speakers to explore ethics, moral leadership and societal values in a unique and historic setting.
Parliamentary and Institutional engagement
Drawing on Westminster Abbey’s rich heritage, our work with public service organisations in and around Parliament Square to offer spaces for reflection, dialogue, and renewal. We offer Members of Parliament, civil servants and others working in the public sphere the opportunity to take a step back from the pressures of public life, to reflect on the ethical and moral challenges encountered by those who serve, and to reconnect with the vocation to public service.
Who we are
Westminster Abbey Institute is overseen by a Steering Group consisting of the Canon Theologian (Chair), the Director of the Institute, the Dean of Westminster, the Canon Rector of St Margaret’s, the Receiver General, and up to three external members.
The Institute is advised by a Council of Reference chaired by the Dean of Westminster.
Institute team
- Dr Edge Watchorn, Director
- Mark Loughridge, Deputy Director, Parliamentary and Institutional Engagement
- Dr Robert Thompson, Deputy Director, Public Programmes
- Eleanor Thompson, Programme Officer
- Aneta Byrne, Institute Assistant
- Audrey Rose Calovich, Institute Assistant
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