THE MISSIONARY writing to me from Sri Lanka was not alluding to the lateness of the delivery of her favourite weekly, although with postal services all over the world in a constant state of flux, who could blame her if she was? Her personal spin on Psalm 42 was referring to her delight at being able to read The Tablet again after a long break. For several years, she had looked forward to reading it in a local lending library. After the library closed down, she missed The Tablet terribly. Then a donor offered to pay for a personal subscription for her. She was thrilled to be back. “It is a great joy to come to know our brothers’ and sisters’ struggles and experiences, as well as to further our knowledge, which enlivens in us the compassion, prayer and joy which are the hallmarks of all Christians.”
In these cash-strapped times, many of us are choosing very carefully what we spend our money on. What really matters in our lives? What’s important? I saw this week that a weekly magazine had sent an extra copy of a recent edition to each of their subscribers, encouraging them to pass it on to a potential new reader. We’ve always been reluctant to print extra copies of The Tablet to give away. We trust you, our loyal readers, to spread the word. Remarkably, we have a 94 per cent subscriber retention rate, one of the highest in the media world.
We never take your loyalty for granted. We know you don’t always agree with everything you read in The Tablet (the passionate exchanges on the letters pages every week are an eloquent testimony to that) and that it’s the independent voice and the robust but respectful disagreement you appreciate. We aim to keep the Catholic conversation going, not to stifle it.
An increasing number of readers are coming forward to sponsor copies to be sent to missionaries across the world, to prisoners in UK prisons and to schools. One head teacher who is benefiting from a sponsored subscription said to me recently: “We distribute our copy of The Tablet to department teachers who will read it and use it within lessons where it is relevant. It also helps keep us up to date with what is going on in the world and the response from the Church to burning issues, as well as with developments within the Church.”
Even in these troubled times, our independence remains intact. Because of our loyal subscription base, we are not at the mercy of Mammon – we know who we work for and we are delighted to serve you. Last year we published 50 editions of The Tablet, totalling more than 2,000 pages of rich and varied content; we continued to update our digital operation; we brought more than 60 webinars to your living rooms; we staged four live events; and we posted thousands of posts and messages on social media. We set up five pilgrimages and sold hundreds of books through our bookshop; we sold Tablet Christmas and Easter cards and calendars and hand-crafted products made by the Benedictine monks of St Augustine’s Abbey, Chilworth. We welcomed hundreds of readers and friends to our Carol service at Farm Street and to our annual Tablet Lecture.
Our work is broadening and our team is small. We are a not for profit but a not for loss charity. The development fund creates a pool of money we can draw on for new initiatives and projects. For example, in recent years your donations enabled us to bring in Newman Interns, who have each learnt their craft with us and gone on to successful careers in journalism. The letter I received from the missionary in Sri Lanka has inspired us to find more people in the world who benefit from The Tablet in their teaching or pastoral work, and we will be retelling their stories over the coming weeks as we carve out this year’s Development Fundraising Campaign.
Please help us again this year. Your generous donation, fuelled by the pleasure we know you gain from receiving your Tablet every week, will help us to keep the conversation going for many years to come. Every donation matters and will help us to deliver The Tablet ... and so much more.
Thank you.
Amanda Davison-Young
Chief Executive Officer
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