MOT Voucher Auction

Number of Bids to date: 0   High Bid:  n/a

Buckingham & Stanley have generously donated an MOT voucher with a retail value of £54 to the Play Area project. It expires at the end of this month, so the project organisers have asked the HI Courier to see if we can auction it to the highest bidder. Because of time constraints, the auction will begin on 4th March and run until 11:59:59pm on March 15th.  Bids can be made by email to mail@hicourier.co.uk   Each evening we will update the highest bid on our website www.hicourier.co.uk - no name will be given only the amount of the current highest bid.
Remember this voucher is only valid for an MOT until 31/03/2010. All proceeds go to The Rec Playarea Project. Good luck!

LOCAL SURGEON’S MERCY MISSION TO AFRICA

Leo Cheng, Histon resident and surgeon, recently returned from Benin on board the world’s largest non-governmental hospital ship – the Africa Mercy. There he performed life-saving operations to some of the poorest people of Africa.  He will be speaking at the Histon Methodist Church ‘Big Issues’ series of meetings on 25 February at 7:30 PM at the church hall.

Leo Cheng, a Consultant Oral and Facial Reconstructive Surgeon in Cambridge and London spent two weeks in Benin, West Africa and has previously volunteered with the international charity Mercy Ships which has operated hospital ships since 1978. Last year, he also went with his daughter, Kat who volunteered as an eye clinic assistant in war-torn Liberia. Two years ago, his wife, Hilary, a Methodist Minister in Histon also volunteered as a chaplain for patients and carers both on board the Africa Mercy and on land-based community projects and clinics.

Leo said: “Publicity in the UK often focuses on a few desperate patients being flown into UK for reconstructive facial surgery but with Mercy Ships, we provide western quality treatment for patients in the poorest countries of the world, on their door step. We know that 90 of the world’s biggest cities are port cities, offering easy access to the ship for people without health care.”

The woman in the photograph with the enormous benign tumor in her neck is a perfect example. Leo told the HI Courier: “This woman was around 45 years who came to the Africa Mercy reluctantly because she thought that her growing neck lump was going to stay with her for life.

“He could not believe that the tumour had gone after surgery as he looked at the mirror because the tumour had been with him for so long. It is very sad to me to see such an extensive tumour in desperate patients like him. What he needed was basic surgery from specialist Maxillofacial Surgeon to remove the tumour when it was small but such basic surgical procedure does not exist in the developing world like those countries in West Africa. Here in UK, small tumours of the parotid gland are removed by Maxillofacial Surgeons with a few hours with good preservation of facial function.”

Advertise in the HI Courier!

A word to all local businesses …

As you are well aware, the Cambridge News ceased publication of the Histon and Impington Crier some time ago, removing a valuable source of advertising for local businesses serving the local market.

Now, a group of residents and businesses have come together to launch the Histon and Impington Courier to fill the gap left by the Crier. The Courier will be a monthly local newspaper run by the community itself. Our aim is to report on local issues, support local businesses, and to act as a central news point for the many organisations working in Histon and Impington.

The Courier will be delivered free to almost 3,500 homes and businesses in Histon and Impington reaching around 10,000 people, giving you the perfect vehicle for advertising your business to the largest possible number of local customers.

We know you will want to be part of this new community effort by advertising your business in the Courier. Check out our Advertising Guide, Rate Card and Booking Form.  The deadline for the innaugural July issue is June 15th.

Please feel free to call us if you have any queries or special requirements.

Histon & Impington Courier C/O 48 Home Close, Histon, Cambridge CB24 9JL
Email: advertising@hicourier.co.uk
Tel: 07906 315926

Welcome to the NEW Village Newspaper Website!

We are very pleased to introduce you to the new Histon Impington Courier website.  What is the ‘HI Courier’ ?It’s the replacement for the defunct ‘Crier’ - but much better.  While you’re reading the web version there will soon be a regular monthly newspaper edition as well.  The difference between the old Crier and the new Courier is this:  The Courier is community owned and operated.  It’s not a commercial venture that needs to make a profit.  Therefore, it will be here as long as the community sees it as a valuable source of news and information.

Who writes the stories that appear in the web version of the Courier?  Simple:  YOU DO.  Any public or not-for-profit organisation will be able to post a story directly from their computers 24 hours a day!  Or perhaps you have a hobby or other interest that you want to tell villagers about.  Or perhaps you are planning a special event and want to invite everyone.  The HI Courier is your noticeboard.   We will be publishing more details shortly.  In the meantime, please contact Ken at webeditor@hicourier.co.uk for more information.

A Quick Tour

Our front page may look rather bare at the moment.  It will fill up rapidly as we get you to help us write stories and submit photos and videos.  In the meantime we have some sample news stories so you get an idea of how it works.

Let me point out a few features that you might miss at first glance.  On the top of the page you will see a menu bar that reads “home   headlines   weather   etc”.  Click on one of those and you’ll find a lot of very current information. 

For example, there are almost 200 headline stories from around the UK and world that are being continuously updated throughout the day. 

Wondering what the weather will be like on Thursday?  Click our ‘Weather’ section to find out. 

There’s a transport section that gives you ‘live’ train schedules updated every 2 minutes!  It has information for trains arriving and departing from both Cambridge and Waterbeach.   

Our Calendar section lists local events and meetings.  You can add your own public event right from your computer screen, too!

And our Directory lists all the local services and businesses in Histon and Impington. 

On the upper right side there’s a place to subscribe to the HI Courier by email.  You’ll get an an e-mail whenever there is a new story on the website (one email per day). 

That’s just a ‘taster’.  There’s more to come. 

If you have ideas or would like to volunteer time to help make the Courier project a success, please contact Denis Payne denis@dwpayne.net or Ken  webeditor@hicourier.co.uk