Tag: Church

  • WI Talk – Murder, Sex and Mayhem in Old Churches

    Histon and Impington Women’s Institute are holding a talk on Thursday 21st April from 7.30pm at Histon Methodist Church hall.

    Members and visitors welcome. Please email hisimpwi@gmail.com

  • Holiday Club – Churches Together Histon and Impington

    Come to ‘Factory Rock’ Holiday Club with Churches Together Histon and Impington on Tuesday 27th – Thursday 29th July between 10am – 12.30pm. Held at Histon Baptist Church it is for children in Reception through to Year 6. Suggested donation of £15 per child.

    For more information and registration forms contact www.standrewshiston.org/kids/holiday-club/

  • Holiday Club

    The Churches Together in Histon and Impington will be running the Holiday Club for children from Reception to Year 6 for three days from Tuesday 27 July to Thursday 29 July, 10am-12.30pm.

    Holiday Club will look a bit different this year as there will be a marquee on the lawn at Histon Baptist church for the main times together, whilst using the large spaces inside for smaller groups. Spaces will be limited to further ensure safety.

    You can register using the link below. They will send some further information a week before the event.

    https://standrewshistonandimpington.churchsuite.co.uk/forms/pdlao0dp

  • New facilities for the village as forty-year vision is realised

    Histon Salvation Army Church have reopened their new and refurbished halls this week after a major building project which was first envisioned around forty years ago and finally got underway just weeks before the Covid-19 pandemic began.

    The Salvation Army Divisional Commander for Central East, Major Martin Hill, led a service to mark the re-dedication of the worship hall and the opening of a brand new multi-purpose hall.

    New facilities, new opportunities

    The worship hall has been refurbished with a new carpet, ceiling, decoration throughout and new sound desk.  The premises have been extended at the back where there is a large and airy multi-purpose hall. This has bi-fold doors across the back wall opening out onto the garden area with artificial grass and ample space for children and others to be in a safe, enclosed environment. The building project has also included a much larger kitchen area than before, an office and plenty of storage areas. The whole building is accessible to the disabled including the new toilets in addition to the existing one.

    The refurbished Salvation Army worship hall

    The Ladybird Playgroup have already started using the new hall which will also be available for wider use including hire by the community for certain events and conferencing. Both the worship hall and multi-purpose hall have excellent audio visual and networking equipment installed with motorised drop down screens. The screens can be linked so if one hall is full those in the other hall are able to join in via the screen.

    From vision to reality

    Captain Rob Symons explained “The vision for this building project was initially conceived about forty years ago with the plans of the current work having actively started around seven years ago”.

    A new kitchen and multi-purpose hall will be used by Ladybird Playgroup. Photo: Val Robson

    Going from detailed plans to the start of build involved a large fundraising exercise with the vast majority of the funding being raised by The Salvation Army in Histon and Impington with the balance of the funding coming from the Divisional and Territorial Headquarters of The Salvation Army. The Histon Salvation Army Care and Share Shop gives 100% of its profits for work by the local Salvation Army. Some of this has gone into funding the building project and any excess goes into the ongoing ministry and mission work.

    The building work was done by Gybe Build Ltd who The Salvation Army have worked with on many projects and have a good relationship. It started in February 2020 and was forecast to take 22 weeks. Just weeks later the arrival of the pandemic changed all this. Since the back wall of the original building had been demolished the building work was allowed to continue all be it at a slower pace due to fewer contractors being permitted onsite and delays in getting supplies.

    The new multi-purpose hall and garden. Photo: Val Robson

    The basic design was done by architects at Rider Levett Bucknall with a few refinements by church member Edd Stonham and a project steering group that has overseen and installed the audio visual and communications equipment through his company Avanit Systems Ltd. 

    Deeper community engagement

    Captains Rob and Georgina Symons are delighted with the outcome of the project which has more than doubled the size of The Salvation Army premises and allows them to engage in new and exciting ways with the local community.

    One new use of the building will be a Make Lunch Club starting in August. This is a new scheme where, in partnership with the local Transforming Lives for Good team, families with a low income will be warmly welcomed and invited to join in with meal preparation, fun activities and encouraged to form friendships with one another in a safe, welcoming space while eating lunch. The Salvation Army will initially make contact with families via referrals from the Brook Primary School but they hope to widen this scheme to others once it is successfully up and running. They have received funding to cover their first year from local sources including HI Friends.

    Captains Rob and Georgina Symons

    Captain Georgina Symons said: “We are also excited to be able to welcome families into our new space at our new parent and toddler group in the autumn”. This is complementary to the Ladybirds Playgroup which has been operating from their premises for many years and they remain committed to supporting Ladybirds Playgroup into the future.

    A video including a montage of photos of the new hall and the project from conception to completion can be found at https://youtu.be/o18TAcxSA5g