A new member of staff with responsibility for mission and pastoral development has been installed at Bradford Cathedral by the Bishop of Leeds, Rt Revd Nick Baines.
The Revd Canon Mandy Coutts, previously Vicar of Bramley in the Leeds area, has become a residentiary canon at Bradford and was welcomed by a full cathedral at a service on Sunday 18 January attended by members of her former parish, the Area Bishop of Bradford, Toby Howarth and members of the College of Canons.
The Dean of Bradford, the Very Revd Jerry Lepine, welcomed Canon Mandy saying that the clergy team was now back to full strength and that he looked forward to working with her. He also welcomed her family – husband Richard, also ordained, and daughters Jenni and Katharine. The churchwardens, on behalf of the congregation presented the new member of the team with a hamper of Yorkshire produce.
The focus of the new role will be on growing the congregation and strengthening pastoral support. Mandy will also focus on developing the Cathedral’s connections with the new Westfield shopping centre due to open in the autumn of this year.
Hear Canon Mandy’s opening sermon by clicking here
The Revd Canon Mandy Coutts
Canon Mandy Coutts has a BSc Honours in Applied Earth Sciences from Oxford Brookes and a PGCE from Bath University (where she met her husband). She worked in two South Bristol schools before moving into industry, overseeing software projects and managing product software development. After six years she went back into teaching, working in a behaviour unit and then a special needs unit as Head of Music. Before ordination she was heavily involved in her local church. She trained in Durham and moved to Leeds in 2006 to serve her curacy at St Matthew’s in Chapel Allerton before becoming Vicar of Bramley in October 2010. She is also an associate tutor for York St John and teaches Old Testament.
Other interests include Fairtrade, creative worship and writing, working with teenagers and families and exploring effective ways for clergy and laity to develop a healthy work / life balance. She is a keen swimmer, loves walking the family’s two black Labradors, enjoys painting and singing, and has recently started learning to play the piano.
Canon Mandy is married to Richard, also ordained, and they have two daughters who are currently at university.
Photographs with thanks to: 
Michelle Heseltine www.imagineaworld.co.uk