A WEYMOUTH reverend will take up his appointment as a non-residentiary canon at Salisbury Cathedral by invitation of the Bishop of Salisbury.

Reverend Tim West, Rural Dean and team rector at the Ridgeway Church group, will be installed alongside four others by Revd Nicholas Holtham at Evensong on Tuesday, May 9.

The new canons will join the College of Canons to provide feedback on cathedral activities and to inform on policy decisions of the chapter, the cathedral’s governing body.

Revd West said: "It is a great honour. The cathedral acts as a mother church in a way, and on one level the canons are a bit like school governors.

"We attend a couple of meetings each year and are invited to take part and lead services throughout the year. But, it's not all one-way traffic, we invite members to come down here as the cathedral is very keen to keep a foot on the ground at local churches."

As the rector of the Ridgeway, Revd West has worked alongside community groups to make the church accessible to all ages, as well as introducing more informal services for those who may find church intimidating.

He said: "We practice exactly the same form of Christianity, so from that point of view we have a lot in common, but obviously at the cathedral the standard is very high, you are not going to get the same standard at a local church, but it gives you ideas. It's a bit like going to London, you always get ideas, it makes you think of the bigger picture."

The new canons represent a range of interests and serve as one of the ways the cathedral connects to the wider diocesan and civic life within Wiltshire and Dorset.

The Very Revd June Osborne, Dean of Salisbury said:"Every year we welcome new canons into the cathedral’s College of Canons, knowing that each will contribute in their unique way. They are chosen for their expertise, insight and spiritual commitment to the Cathedral and Diocese."