Speech at Histon Green, January 1st, 2000 - Anne L Ryan, H-I 2000

On behalf of Histon and Impington Millennium Committee may I thank all of you for coming along today and showing such great community spirit in participating in this event. Thanks also go to both Max Parish of Histon Parish Council and Denis Payne of Impington Parish Council for coming here today to share their thoughts and aspirations for the next Millennium here in Histon and Impington.

In May 1998 the Histon and Impington Millennium Committee were assigned the task of drawing together the Millennium Calendar of Events for both villages, in order to make sure that some form of celebration took place in the villages. As the celebration was to be in the form of a whole series of events, our task was to ensure there were no clashes; and to try our best to connect with all of the people in the villages who wished to participate in these events. This we feel we have now achieved with the publication of the Calendar of Events, which you will have received during December 1999.

However, the Histon and Impington Millennium Committee was not satisfied with just organising the Calendar and drawing it together. We also took on the task of organising the first and last 24 hours. Also, in August - in conjunction with Unwins Seeds Ltd. - we will hold a family event at their seed trial grounds. For information about this, please refer to the Calendar.

The Histon and Impington Millennium Committee consists now of a core of five people: Beatrix Bown (Newsletter Editor), Pat Bennett (Secretary), Doris Heinrich (Vice-Chairwoman), Pam Lee (Treasurer) and myself, Anne L Ryan (Chairwoman). We have been through highs and lows, agreements and disagreements, but we are proud to say that at the end of it, we have come through, slightly scathed but very much the better for having achieved our aim. We are especially happy to have been able to tap into the wonderful community spirit here in Histon and Impington. The Millennium Celebrations are a chance for all of us to connect with and create this community spirit.

If you asked did we know what we were taking on at the beginning, we would all have answered NO. But the one thing common between the members of this committee which prompted us to attend the public meeting in May 1998, is the need for a Community Centre here in the villages. You will know that we have received a small Millennium Award. We have also been lucky enough to receive other small donations from businesses, the parish councils, individuals and groups in the villages. Our grateful thanks go to these people - too many to mention now - but a full list can be found in the Cambridge Building Society window.

However, the question for you as residents here in the villages is what should be done with any remaining funds once this committee has disbanded. As our Committee was drawn together on the principle issue of the need for a Community Venue, and bearing in mind that the Church Halls site has been offered by St Andrew's Church for this purpose, it seems appropriate to us that any funds we have left should go directly into a trust fund for this project. Indeed, any profit which we make from today's or any of the events we hold this year could go to such a fund. This would establish a long lasting connection for the villages with this year's celebrations

If you are in support of this idea and the Community Centre, please can you contact your local Parish Councilors and ask them to support it too. It is up to you as an individual to voice your view on this matter.

I wish to thank all of you for coming along last night and with your lanterns today. If you wish to see this happen again, please let us know. Between us we can make it happen again!