From the Masonic Charitable Foundation website
The restoration and maintenance of York Minster will continue far into the future, thanks to the creation of three new stonemasonry apprenticeships, funded by a £170,000 grant from the Masonic Charitable Foundation.
The apprenticeships are being introduced over three years, with each individual learning their craft in the York Minster’s Stoneyard alongside award-winning craftspeople, while studying part-time at York College.
The apprenticeship funding is being given in memory of Iain Ross Bryce, a former Provincial Grand Master of Yorkshire and East Riding Freemasons, who died in June 2015.
The first apprentice to benefit from the grant is 27-year-old Lewis Morrison, who joined the cathedral in August 2016 after completing an NVQ Level 2 stonemasonry qualification at York College.
Lewis moved to York from Aberdeen in 2015 to start a stonemasonry course at York College.
“I have an arts based background with a BA in Fine Art Printmaking and was looking for a career which was practical and creative,” Lewis explained.
“After completing my course, I knew I wanted to work in the heritage sector and obviously jumped at the opportunity to work at one of the world’s great medieval cathedrals. The apprenticeship offers me the opportunity to develop my skills working alongside some of the country’s most talented craftspeople.”
Lewis is currently working on his first carving as part of the cathedral’s South Quire Aisle project, which will involve restoring and conserving glass and stone in the aisle’s 11 bays over the next 11 years.