Journalist Ali Vowles interviews Bath Abbey’s CEO, Frank Mowat, whose background in banking has enabled him to lead the commercial development and transformation of the Abbey and breathe new life into one of Bath’s most striking landscapes.
I thought I knew quite a lot about Bath Abbey. It was where the first king of England was crowned over 1,000 years ago; it has a ladder of angels on the front and is often called “The Lantern of the West” because of its stained-glass windows. But did you know that Bath Abbey has a CEO? As a nosey journalist by trade, I needed to find out more!
Until nine years ago, Frank Mowat was working high up in the world of banking. After a half-hearted attempt at retirement, he got the job of leading the commercial development and transformation of Bath Abbey including being responsible for the success of the Abbeys £21m Footprint Project. The Abbey needed modern facilities to cope with its vast number of visitors and to find ways of maintaining its upkeep. Eleven million pounds was given by the Heritage Lottery fund – the rest was raised by fundraising locally. It was a huge challenge.
“When I started at the Abbey, the commercial activities of the Abbey were being run by a small team of clergy” explains Frank. “It was amazing what they had been doing, but over the years, they realised that they did not have the time to forward plan and more focus was needed on developing governance, compliance and visitor experience. I was given a mandate to use my commercial and retail banking experience, to introduce improvements, bring new types of events to the Abbey, such as installations and theatre, in order to attract new visitors and to grow our income streams, whilst at the same time overseeing the Footprint Project and preserving and protecting our prime function which is a place of worship delivering over 1000 services each year”
Whilst Frank is not a practising Christian, he found the idea of running a collection of commercial activities: a visitor attraction; a tour operator; a retail operation and, a complex building development project, within an iconic traditional church environment a very alluring part of the challenge. He also was drawn to working with a team of clergy, staff and volunteers who wanted to “do good” helping the under-served communities in Bath and beyond.
A transformation
If you’ve not been into the Abbey for a few years, it’s well worth taking a look. The Footprint Project has transformed the building both in and below the Abbey Church Yard. Most of the pews have now gone, replaced by chairs – creating a huge, flexible worship space that can be used for concerts and other entertainment events when needed. There are new meeting rooms used to host school trips, small community groups and charities, a purpose-built Song Room for the choirs, a Discovery Centre and a new heating system, partly created using Bath’s thermal waters. And joy of joys – much-needed toilets!
But Frank acknowledges that achieving the transformation has not been all plain sailing. Part of the floor was dangerously collapsing due to the 7000 bodies buried beneath the Abbey over the centuries. The pandemic hit in the middle of the construction period. Removing the pews proved to be highly sensitive and involved a high-profile legal battle with the Victorian Society, which the Abbey eventually won. The removal of the pews made national news. So how did Frank and the team at the Abbey deal with the passionate feelings of the public?
Working here is a bit like working on the Forth Bridge. You finish one thing and already another project is around the corner.
“The removal of the pews and ensuing legal battle was a nightmare!” he comments. “However, like most of the issues that we faced during the development, we met with key stakeholders, listened to their concerns and invested time trying to find a mutually acceptable way forward wherever possible. We were also aware that many people are passionate about the Abbey, and so we kept the public informed by arranging regular face to face update meetings and Q&A sessions in the Abbey. Stakeholder management and communication were particularly important aspects of this project.”
If the last few years are anything to go by, the changes are working. Bath Abbey’s flexible space means it is now used for all sorts of events, including talks, concerts, and plays, while still fulfilling its prime purpose, which is to be a place of worship. Frank says that getting the balance right of what takes place in the Abbey is really important and we regularly discuss and decline lucrative commercial opportunities as they just are not right for this sacred space.
“My boss is Guy the Rector of Bath Abbey and the lead member of the clergy team. His background is completely church, and mine is completely business. And our relationship really works. But it’s been a real journey to understand each other and our motivations. Guy and I work together with our wider Leadership Team to ensure that whatever happens in the Abbey meets our mission goals, fits with our values and commercial needs, while at the same time is appropriate for the Abbey as a place of worship.”
Life away from Bath Abbey
Away from work, Frank loves going to the gym, dog-walking with his wife, and listening to live music. He’s been to Glastonbury Festival, but admits that for the past few years, he and his wife have been going to a more low-key music festival in athe Cotswolds and have abandoned staying in tents for a nearby pub!
But it’s a charity in Bath that is really close to his heart. Both his father and mother-in-law have had dementia and after caring for them he and his wife realised just how much help and advice is needed. He decided to take on the role of Chair of Trustees for Bath and North East Somerset Carers Centre.
“It’s a small local charity with a brilliant team of about 25 staff and 9 trustees” explains Frank. “Such a great organisation. There are nearly 6,000 adults on our books and about 1,000 children. But the demand in B&NES is far greater. I’d love more people to know about us. We estimate there are another 30,000 people in BANES who care for loved ones, and often they don’t see themselves as being a carer. They are just helping their relatives and muddling their way through for all the right reasons, without realising we can help.”
Eye-watering costs
Back at the Abbey, the fundraising continues. Future costs are eye-watering. Much of the work can only be done by conservation specialists experienced in working on historic buildings. The Abbey recently had to spend over £350,000 on refurbishing the world clas Klais Organ and still needs to spend over £2 million pounds on repairing the roofs.
Working for the church is a far cry from the world of finance, but Frank thoroughly enjoys the change, the challenge and making a positive difference.
“Working here is a bit like working on the Forth Bridge,” he muses. “You finish one thing, and already another project is around the corner. But the job is so interesting. Before I came here, I was never into history, archaeology, and architecture, but now I’m into it hook, line, and sinker. And yes – I have a growing interest in faith and how churches can play a bigger role in society. Its really interesting to see how faith motivates many people to work and volunteer at the Abbey. We have over 50 staff and 250 wonderful and interesting volunteers at the Abbey. Many of our volunteers are retired. At a time when isolation is a major issue in society, its good to see that the Abbey helps to give many people a sense of purpose and connection and to feel part of a caring community. Its such a special place”