Tag: HI Friends

Beating Long Covid – the village steps forward
With Covid on the rise yet again in the village, the spectre of increasing cases of Long Covid is looming, affecting young and old alike. Neil Davies explains how HI Friends is supporting those suffering from this debilitating condition.
For 10 years, HI Friends has been working with the Ely-based charity Posability to organise specialist exercise classes and groups at the Histon & Impington Recreation Ground pavilion. These classes provided vital support for people living with long-term neurological conditions, such as Stroke, Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis and Muscular Dystrophy.
Posability provided specialist instructors and HI Friends organised the sessions, provided the venue and used the community minibus as transport for some of the participants.
Like so many other activities, the classes came to a halt when Covid took hold, and with many of the participants being clinically extremely vulnerable, it’s still unclear when these activities will be able to restart.
But Covid has brought other challenges too, not least Long Covid, which is thought to affect about 10% of acute Covid sufferers.
A dedicated class
During the Pandemic HI Friends manager Neil Davies has been in regular contact with Posability, and for a couple of months now, has been discussing with them the possibility of running a dedicated exercise class for those living with Long Covid.
Neil explained: “Posability have been looking at the needs are of Long/Post Covid patients. The main difficulties are breathlessness, continuing cough, fatigue, back and shoulder pain, ‘brain fog’, anxiety, isolation and depression. Posability instructors can really help with these.
“Exercise is recommended for these patients, with caution, so as not to exacerbate shortness of breath and fatigue. The general advice is to make gradual progression towards pre-Covid activity level.”
Posability advises that ‘Resistance Band exercises’ – large elastic bands that you can use to exercise all areas of the body – are particularly good as they build strength without over-taxing the cardio-vascular system. Similarly, a static bike – which HI Friends has – is helpful as the readout gives an accurate evaluation of time, speed, distance, which be useful in tracking the user’s progression.
“Then there’s the social element of a class, offering peer support to relieve the emotional impact of Long Covid. That’s an important part of recovery too”, said Neil.
Making it happen
A £1,400 grant from South Cambs District Council to support the start-up has made it possible for these classes to become a reality – not just for Histon & Impington residents, but for people across the whole District. The very first class will start next week on Tuesday 27th July at 2.30pm.
Neil explained: “The Group will be a maximum of ten, and if there is greater demand an extra could be organised. If numbers are less than that, the activity will be opened up to those recovering from Strokes from the Covid period.
“The weekly sessions will be led by a specialist instructor, supported by an assistant, and each session will last 75 minutes and include time for social interaction as well as exercises.
“At present we envisage the activity being for an initial period of 6 months. We’re offering the first week free, so that people can try it and see, and there will be a small fee after that for those who can afford it.
“I’d urge everyone suffering from Long Covid to give it a go. If it’s not you, but a friend or relative who is suffering, tell them about it. Like every community, many people around us have suffered during the pandemic, and we want to see everyone back to health as soon as possible.”
Long Covid classes start Tuesday 27th July 2.30pm to 3.30pm at the Histon & Impington Recreation Ground pavilion.
For more information and to register your interest, contact Christina 07565 598193
For help with transport to the Rec, contact Paul 07772 437789 or email info@hifriends.org.uk
22/07/2021
Sharing and caring – a Deep Well of support for the village
A request earlier this year for contributions to a book of poems and visual art about mental wellbeing has culminated this week with the publication of ‘Deep Well’. Rebecca Strivens has been coordinating the efforts.
Rebecca explained the origins of the book telling HI HUB: “For many, the journey to becoming and staying mentally well has resulted in some astonishing insights, and creative outlets, but sharing them can involve risk – of being judged crazy, weird or, sometimes, attention-seeking… There is so much to be gained from sharing: the connections made by others who struggle, seeing they are not alone and that someone else understands; communicating to the well what it can feel like to suffer, making for a more empathetic and understanding community”.
The book of poems and artwork is on sale now through The Topiary Tree shop, at the St Andrew’s Centre, and will be sold from a stall on the Green in the mornings of Saturday 3rd and 10th July. All proceeds go to the charity HI Friends.
Rebecca will also be selling copies of ‘Little Steps’, a poetry book about bereavement and life’s journey by Carol Key, a local Histon lady. She published her book in 2015 and has given copies to sell alongside Deep Well, contributing her profits to the charity. Both books will sell for £5 per copy.
Among the beautiful and heartfelt contributions to ‘Deep Well’ is one by Rebecca’s own daughter, Anna.
My mind is a sky -by Anna Strivens
On clear days, I shine
Brightly
Blindingly
My warmth saturates the world
I bring colour
I bring life
Clouds pass across me
Casting shadows
They pass, fleeting as a thought
When they gather in multitudes
I am grey
I am dulled
Overcast, I walk
Sap colour
Sap life
To those not watching
I am normal
I am fine
Grey turns to black
The thunder in my head is my voice off the walls
The lightning flashes are ice in my veins
Rain pours
I flood
I weep
The world weeps with me
My heaviness lifts
On the horizon, it is grey
Grey, again
But the rain heals the damage of the storm
Roots grow strong and new growth blooms
Clouds may stay
The rain is gone
Was it ever there?
Overcast, I walk
The clouds break
Light shines through
(And the rain is gone)
01/07/2021
They predict a Riot! – on the Rec
Kicking off Feast Week on 2nd July is the first major event our village has seen since the pandemic called time on large gatherings. Amanda Borrill chatted to event organisers Colin Myles and Edd Stonham about how it feels to be back in the hot seat.
Over the last 18 months, event fundraising has been near impossible with the social distancing rules around COVID-19 calling a halt to gigs and festivals right across the UK and beyond. On Friday 2nd July, this is all about to change as for one night only HI Friends event – Riot! on the Rec gets set to transform our, usually tranquil, Recreation ground into Histon & Impington’s very own summer festival.
HI Friends for life
Colin (left) and Edd at the end of another busy event. Photo Colin Myles.
Behind this HI Friends fundraiser are best friends of over a decade, Edd Stonham and Colin Myles. This dynamic duo first paired up back in 2011 for the Jubilee celebrations and have been working together on village events ever since.
I asked Colin how it feels to be back in the organising seat again after so long:
“It feels amazing. Edd and I were devastated to have to abandon last year’s event. We both love throwing ourselves into all the elements of planning an event; marketing, organising, building and running. Our plans this time are for a concert with a mini festival vibe and to build on that festival atmosphere there will be a licensed bar and top class street food vendors with Steak and Honour and Guerilla Kitchen feeding the crowd. Personally I just love to see people having a great time – I think I enjoy running events more than attending.”
The Headliners
Headlining on the 2nd July will be Sussex based band RIOT! who come with glowing recommendations from the same agency Edd and Colin used for previous event success The Indie Killers back in 2016. If the blurb on this band’s website is anything to go by, riot gear might be a wise dress code for the night. It proclaims: ‘This trio come with bundles of energy and are capable of creating a heck of a party! Their set is explosive and their performance has been know to start a ‘riot’, so be warned!’
Take a glimpse of what’s in store via this You Tube clip.

Making their debut
Supporting Riot, and making their first ever appearance together on stage, is local band – The B1049s. This HisImp trio sees a group of 40/50 year old mates coming together especially for this gig and includes guitarist Andy Shields (who toured internationally with The Naked Apes), drummer Ben Jakubowski (ex IVC student show drummer, The Roots, Beale Street Band, Rock Road) and bassist Paul Edmondson who, in his own words, is the least experienced band member and has to keep reminding himself which way up to hold his instrument by way of jams with work colleagues and supporting his son as he learns the guitar.
The B1049s. Left to right Ben, Paul, Andy. Photo courtesy of The B1049s.
Getting it together
Andy tells how it all began: “We are of course honoured to have been asked to provide support at this event and actually it will be the B1049s first public performance… ever! The idea for forming a new local band actually came from a camping trip in 2019, so it has taken quite a while to get it together. We started rehearsing again in the garden, once that was allowed earlier this year, and actually had to give up on one occasion when it started snowing! Now that’s rock ‘n’ roll.
“We will be doing the first set acoustically and then cranking it up a little bit in the second set. It’s been brilliant to have something to work towards and we are helping to support a good cause at the same time”.
Rumour has it that, if it all goes alright on the night, gigs might become a regular fixture so watch this space!
A community effort
Getting an event like this off the ground, does not happen without a lot of hard work and many hours of commitment. “Gig days are long days!” Edd recollects. “We normally put in around 18 hours – being the last people to leave the site once we have cleaned up and the
band has gone home.” But, it has to be said, this is a real community effort and they will not do this alone; being ably assisted by a number of volunteers and HI Friends committee members along the way.
Like all the best run events, it wouldn’t be complete without a few panics here and there. Colin laughs “we often start to panic around 3pm if we are going to be ready for people turning up at 7pm – we always make it though and when the band arrives it all starts to feel a little more real. I love the soundcheck and have even previously had my daughter helping the band with their warm-up which was amazing!”.
Safety first
One huge question though, which will be forefront on everyone’s minds this year, is that of COVID safety. I asked the guys what measures are in place to ensure that this gig fits into current Government guidelines. This is what they told me:
“Last year’s cancellation due to COVID was obviously a massive disappointment and we feel that, after such a long time without any big events in the village, people will now be ready to party, albeit a little more cautiously. As it is an outdoor organised event, this is allowed within step three of the Government’s path out of lockdown but we are conscious the UK is not out of the woods yet and we want everyone to know that safety is top of our list of priorities”
The HI Friends committee has been working closely with South Cambs District Council on the licence and plans for event safety and COVID compliance. Tickets for this event are limited numbers and advance booking only, food truck locations have been planned to avoid people congregating in busy areas with the trucks taking orders online giving you a dedicated collection time, and payments at the bar will be cashless to eliminate queues. There will be COVID marshals reminding people about distancing, check-in with the NHS app will be required and COVID safe information will be sent to everyone prior to the event.
Book now!
Riot! on the Rec kicks off on Friday 2nd July at 7pm and runs until 11pm. There is no age limit but children must be accompanied by parents at all times. To book your advance tickets for this fundraising event, simply click through to the HI Friends website, here. Until 14 June, HI HUB readers can get a 20% discount on the ticket price of £13 using code RTHIHUB.
Volunteers are needed for this event. If you are interested in giving your time to help out, please get in touch with Colin Myles at cbsmyles@gmail.com
The organisers would like to give their thanks to event sponsors Avanit Audio Visual and IT Support Specialists and Pegasus Group independent development consultancy.
10/06/2021
Village charity commits to building a ‘dementia friendly’ community
Families affected by dementia are set to receive more support thanks to a new initiative aiming to make Histon & Impington a place where they are welcomed, cared for and can live a full life.
Families affected by dementia are set to receive more support thanks to a new initiative aiming to get Histon & Impington officially recognised as a Dementia Friendly Community.
Project Forget-me-not is being launched on Friday, 14 May by local charity HI Friends, to coincide with national Dementia Action Week. It will be led by the new village dementia worker, Sarah Brown and Project Lead, Jan Payne.
Sarah’s role is to work closely with people affected by dementia, developing work begun in the village by Margaret Reed Roberts, so that anyone caring for people living with the condition, and people dealing with memory loss issues themselves, can ‘live well’ here.
Village dementia worker, Sarah Brown
She will be providing support and guidance for people living with dementia or memory loss, and their families and carers, helping with practical, emotional and social needs such as accessing local services, maintaining personal interests, taking part in social activities, and finding respite for carers.
She explained: “As well as helping those whose lives are affected by memory loss and dementia, my role is to influence change in Histon & Impington, to encourage a socially inclusive and compassionate neighbourhood response, so that people can maintain and increase their social contact.”
Village-wide project
Project Forget-me-not lead, Jan Payne, will be working with Sarah to achieve the Dementia Friendly Community designation for Histon & Impington. This quality standard is accredited by the Alzheimer’s Society, which awards the badge to places where people with dementia are understood, respected and supported, and confident they can contribute to community life.
Project Forget-me-not lead, Jan Payne
“In a dementia friendly community people will be aware of and understand dementia,” they say, and “people with dementia will feel included and involved, and have choice and control over their day-to-day lives.”
The Alzheimer’s Society lists three key factors that contribute to people ‘living well’ in their community:
- Being able to find their way around locally, and be safe
- Continuing to have access the local facilities that they are used to and where they are known, such as banks, shops, cafes and post offices, and
- Maintaining their social networks so they feel they continue to belong.
Jan explained: “My focus is really to support Sarah’s work and grow a community that can help those living with dementia and memory loss.
“We’ll be listening closely to those affected by this, supporting businesses and groups of all ages, arranging activities around the village and forming a support group of people who’d like to get involved.
“We hope that it will become possible for everyone affected by dementia to feel cared for and welcome in our community. This project is about overseeing a change in perception and bringing about changes where needed.”
Taking action
The national Dementia Action Week runs from 17-22 May. To kick off Project Forget-me-not, Jan will be presenting a Dementia Friends Awareness session on Zoom, as offered by the Alzheimer’s Society. The first session will be on Tuesday 18 May at 7.30pm, and then repeated on Friday 21 May at 10.30am.
Jan has experience of helping to care for members of her own family living with dementia and her work has included leading singing groups for those with dementia and memory loss. She has also been trained by the Alzheimer’s Society to give these 45-minute presentations, which everyone can access from home and take part on a computer or phone. They are open to anyone over 18 and there’s no need to book in advance. Full details are available from the HI Friends website.
Then, on Saturday 22 May 2021, from 09.30am until midday, members of the public will be able to meet Sarah and Jan at a stall on The Green, where they can learn more about the project and share their views on the type of help and changes that would be most valuable.
Jan is keen that as many people as possible take part. She explained: “Dementia is an increasingly common condition that will affect many people in the village and it can have a profound impact on them, their family and their friends.
“Nationally 1 in 14 people over 65 live with dementia and by 2040 it could affect as many as 1.5 million people in the UK. What’s more, it is not just a disease of the elderly: increasingly more and more younger people are being given this diagnosis.
“But a diagnosis of dementia isn’t life-ending, and people can live well for many years if communities are supportive and understand what a huge difference their positive attitudes and behaviour can make to those living with the condition.
“I do hope that the village will embrace this opportunity to build on the amazing care and compassion they have shown to their neighbours during the pandemic, and create a lasting legacy that will be a shining example to other communities.”
Sarah is keen to hear from anyone affected by or caring for someone with dementia or memory loss, and Jan is starting her search for people willing to serve on the Support Group and make a start on achieving Dementia Friendly Community status for Histon & Impington.
To find out more, join the Dementia Friends Awareness session on Zoom:
Topic: Dementia Friends presentation webinar (on Zoom)
Time: May 18, 2021 19:30 London
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88271719510?pwd=RUtFcng2c3FBQzFRNE8yN2J6TzRqZz09
Meeting ID: 882 7171 9510
Passcode: ProjectFMN
Topic: : Dementia Friends presentation webinar (on Zoom)
Time: May 21, 2021 10:30 London
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85021584199?pwd=YXpsR2pRZm9CcTRMSC9HcUFqOXZRdz09
Meeting ID: 850 2158 4199
Passcode: ProjectFMN
For more information, come and chat to Sarah and Jan on The Green on Saturday 22 May from 9.30am to midday, or email sarah@hifriends.org.uk or jan@hifriends.org.uk
13/05/2021
Village Dementia Worker – HI Friends
HI Friends, who run the wellbeing team and a range of activities in the village, are looking for a Village Dementia Worker to improve the quality of the lives of those living with dementia and memory loss in Histon and Impington as well as those of their carers and families. This part-time role is 28 hours per month for a 7 month fixed term contract to 31^stOctober 2021 to provide sabbatical cover. Closing date for applications is midday Monday 29 March.
More Info
17/03/2021
HI Friends Info Stall
An opportunity to discover who HI Friends are, what they do, their wellbeing services and what support is available in Histon and Impington.
On the grass area opposite the Red Lion.
08/10/2020
Community Play Therapist – HI Friends
HI Friends, who run the wellbeing team and a range of activities in the village, are looking for a new part-time role to help the wellbeing of village children aged 3-11 through the use of play therapy. 10 hours per week term time.
Closing date for applications is 4pm Thursday 25th June
More Info
09/06/2020