Why support The Tablet?

“We are called to live the tension between the convictions of the Church and the questions of the world. The Tablet’s mission is to live this tension fruitfully, for and with its readers.”
— Cardinal Timothy Radcliffe OP

Since its founding in 1840 by Frederick Lucas—a Quaker convert to Catholicism—The Tablet has walked a delicate but vital tightrope. For nearly two centuries we have been a place of “conversation in the Spirit”: open to disagreement, and welcoming to a rich diversity of voices. And yet we have always remained firmly rooted in Catholic tradition, culture, and sacramental imagination. We engage the contemporary world not as outsiders, but as believers convinced that the Spirit is alive and active, especially where the poor and vulnerable cry out for justice.

If we sometimes sound like a wasp at the picnic, it is only because we believe that truth—spoken with charity—never harms the Church. Popes come and go, priorities shift, and the mission of the Church grows and stretches with each age. But one thing has changed profoundly: The Tablet is now the only UK-based Catholic newspaper. In a media landscape increasingly shaped by wealthy backers and rigid ideological tribes, we stand deliberately apart. We answer to no faction. We are an independent lay Catholic voice, witnessing to the beauty, meaning, and inviolable dignity of every human life, and seeking the truth through honest, courageous storytelling.

As our bicentenary approaches, our mission has never felt more urgent. We are committed to strengthening our independence and expanding our service: enhancing our digital presence, supporting seminaries, accompanying those in prisons, enriching Catholic schools, and providing thoughtful nourishment to readers across generations. At a time when many young people struggle to imagine a hopeful future—especially under the shadow of climate catastrophe—we want to help them dream again.

But to continue this work, and to step boldly into our third century, we need your help.

Cheque

Please find instructions on how to donate by cheque below

Standing order

Please find instructions on how to set up a standing order below

We welcome every donation to help keep our Tablet conversation going. If you would like to get in touch with us to discuss further. Simply email adyoung@thetablet.co.uk

The Tablet is a legacy for future generations and remains a symbol of hope for the future.

Thank you for your generosity.

 Amanda Davison-Young
CEO of The Tablet Publishing Company Ltd

• “Of all the papers and journals that come through my letterbox each week, I most look forward to the arrival of The Tablet. It is well-informed, very well written, reasonable and moderate, and gives comprehensive coverage of what is happening in Rome and around the world” –Chris Patten, former Chancellor of Oxford and Governor of Hong Kong

• “The Tablet drops into my postbox in Albania every week, and I read it cover to cover. It enlightens my mind theologically and socially, it draws me into present-day situations across the world, and it challenges stereotypes in church thinking. It often takes me on a journey with those who suffer from injustice through war, poverty, hunger, gender-based violence, human trafficking, discrimination, prejudice, bias or just sheer blindness. And sometimes it takes me on an inner journey of the Spirit” –Sister Imelda Poole IBVM MBE, a British citizen on mission in Albania

• “I’ve been readingThe Tablet for more than sixty years. It makes me feel part of a community of readers who are never patronised or spoken down to but regarded as well-informed, inquisitive and open-minded” –K Hartley, Stourbridge

• “Worldwide Catholicism is a large thing. I rely on The Tablet to help me to see the wood as well as the trees. That’s no mean feat! The content is varied – few publications contain, in the same issue, analysis of the Pope’s latest synodal moves and homespun wisdom about West Bromwich Albion. The writing is excellent – and many of the staff at Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School find it an invaluable teaching resource” –Paul Stubbings, Headmaster of Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School, London

• “The Tablet is an inspiration: spirited and loved, with a brave, beating journalistic heart that speaks truth to power. It is thoughtful and reflective when so much in front of us today feels brutal and simplistic. Its voice resonates well beyond the Church” – Carmel McConnell MBE, founder of Magic Breakfast

• “What prisoners always hunger for is news and, in this age of the internet, that is precisely what is becoming ever less available to us; so I am grateful to The Tablet and the generous people who donate towards prisoner subscriptions for making Britain’s last surviving Catholic weekly physically available to me and others in my digitally excluded position” – Inmate, HMP Nottingham

• “I am in awe of The Tablet’s consistency, focus and sheer staying power. It is a lamp shining in a world getting darker by the day. It is a precious bridge connecting the Church to the wider secular world” – Matthew Hassan Kukah, Bishop of Sokoto

• “The Tablet has been a source for me of both news and analysis of what is going on in the Church. I don’t know where else such information is to be found. Certainly not in the mainstream media” – J Yeoman, Cardiff 

• “I can never remember life without The Tablet: a voice of both faith and reason, drawing upon some of the most interesting and thoughtful voices in the Catholic world and beyond. Through times of tumultuous change it has never lost its balance” – Mark Coleridge, Archbishop of Brisbane