Thank you for taking the time to visit our Just Giving page, we appreciate your support with our journey to raise the funds for the much-needed repair of the University Chapel, named The Chapel of the Ascension.

Our History

The University of Chichester has been an educational institution for more than 180 years. The Bishops Training College, as it was originally known, was established in 1839 in memory of William Otter, who was appointed Bishop of Chichester in 1836. In 1850 the College moved to new buildings on a new site and was renamed Bishop Otter College, these buildings including the original Chapel (built between 1852-53) are the historic core of the University at our Chichester campus.

By 1962, the Church Assembly allocated monies for expansion across England for its Church Colleges, and Bishop Otter was one of nine Church Colleges awarded monies to develop the campus.

The commission to design the expansion of the campus went to a firm of architects - 'Bridgwater Shepheard and Epstein'. Peter Shepheard was the architect who was most involved. Peter, later wrote a chapter in a Bishop Otter Memorial Paper 'Chichester Tapestries' complimenting the project by stating 'the Chapel of Bishop Otter College turned out to be one of the most interesting jobs we ever had'. The importance of the Chapel has been central to our students over the generations, as a place of religious worship and reflection, an area for performance and rehearsal and as a focal point for social events for students, staff and our local community.

If you would like to know more about our history please visit our website

Our Chapel Today

Our Chapel is an open space for those with a faith who want to celebrate it as well as for those with their doubts who want to question it; for those who are just looking and those who need somewhere neutral to reflect. It is for those who are experiencing difficulties and maybe dont know where to start to get help.

Morning prayer takes place on weekdays and the Chapel is host to religious services throughout the year such as our annual Christmas carol service, as well as numerous other events and activities, including being a teaching space where lectures and seminars are held. It is a vital part of our community.

Our Current Challenges

As it stands at the moment, the Chapel roof is in poor condition and is leaking resulting in damage to other areas of the Chapel. For instance, the floor is affected and cannot be repaired until the roof work has been addressed. It also makes it incredibly difficult for the Chapel to be used when there are periods of rain, which in turn affects the morale of those involved and attending service. It is equally disruptive to other performances and students and staff who use the Chapel as a teaching environment.

Our Plans

Our primary objective is to replace the Chapel roof in its entirety as it is failing to support its current function.

We have considered numerous options for roof coverings including; like for like (clay pan tile), slate, standing seam, diamond zinc, and diamond copper. The original clay pan tiles have been noted as an unusual choice by both the project designers and conservation officer, particularly due to the suitability of this tile to the steep roof pitch. Noting this, and the premium price point of the metal roofs, slate presented an ideal opportunity of a slimmer profile to allow thermal upgrades, as well as giving opportunity to use slates decoratively, complemented with copper roles for ridges and valleys. This would produce a similar design to that of notable buildings locally and those further afield, such as Coventry Cathedral.

In future planning operations we will also be looking to replace the glazing, and carry out essential work to improve drainage and treat localised corrosion alongside the roofing work.

We also intend on replacing the flooring, which has become damaged through water ingress. New timber flooring to match the existing is proposed, other options such as LVT were considered inappropriate for this building.

Our Appeal

As you can imagine, the costs required to refurbish the Chapel are substantial, and total well over a £1m. This is not money that the University can easily set aside, which means the work may have to be phased over several years, leading to significant further disruption. Therefore, we are asking those who are in a position to do so, to donate to our cause so that we can restore the Chapel to its former glory. We all want this building at the heart of our community to be enjoyed and utilised and ensure that our history lives on.

Thank you for your time and contributions.