LOCAL SURGEON’S MERCY MISSION TO AFRICA

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.”

“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.”

The Wave, Saturday, 5th December

The Wave, on Saturday 5 December, will be a carnival style procession through the streets of London to call for international action on climate change. It is being organised by the Stop Climate Chaos Coalition, which has been organising peaceful climate change marches since 2006 to keep the pressure on government for definite action on climate change.

details of the day

• Meeting from 12pm, Grovesner Square, central London
• Starts at approximately 1pm
• The route will flow from Grosvenor Square, via Piccadilly and Whitehall, to finally encircle the Houses of Parliament on both sides of the Thames.
• A stunning finale will take place at 3pm as The Wave encircles the Houses of Parliament

Members of  TheCo-operative and Oxfam supporters can book up to 6 tickets with their membership number/Oxfam code. Travel to The Wave costs from as little as £5 per person for coaches, £15 per person for trains and free for under-16s. For further details of the day and to book subsidised transport visit Co-operative site

Quite a number from HICCA are already booked on the coach leaving at 8:30 from Queens Rd, Cambridge.  So book a ride for just £5 and join us on the march. Look out for the brand new HICCA banner!

Village Energy Show Sat Oct 24th, 2-6 pm

• Get advice and a chance to chat about cutting your household energy bills and carbon footprint
• See technologies that can help and talk to installers
• Meet local people with local experience
• Find out about energy-saving support for your local community
• Bring the family and friends – it’s about all of us

Venue:  Impington Village College, New Road, Impington

Free entry

Organised by South Cambs Sustainable Parish Energy Partnership in collaboration with HICCA.

Greening Campaign Phase Two coming up

Residents of Histon and Impington are invited to join HICCA at Impington Village College on Wednesday 23rd September to discuss how to build on the carbon cutting success of the Greening Campaign earlier in the year. 

The meeting, which will include a brief AGM, will be conducted on the lines of the initial Greening Campaign meeting, with plenty of opportunity for interaction and discussion. 

Doors will open at 7.15 and the meeting will begin at 7.30 pm.

Villagers Deliver!

After almost a year of planning, in July the Histon & Impington Courier hit the streets for the first time. It is written, laid out, printed and delivered by volunteers from the two villages, and we hope you enjoy it and find it useful!

Producing the paper is one thing, but delivering it to more than 3,000 homes and businesses is also no mean feat. We divided and conquered by splitting the village into several zones, and teams responsible for each got the papers out (phew!). 

URGENT! Help Needed!

The Launch Edition of the Histon Impington Courier newspaper will be ready for distribution starting Friday JUly 3rd.  We still need help covering some of the streets and roads.   If you can help please contact distribution@hicourier.co.uk  or call 07906 315926.  Our goal is to have one or two people on each steet deliver newspapers once a month.  

Here are a list of those streets that still need volunteers to deliver the newspaper door to door.

ZONE A
Cooke Road
New Road west of B1049
Pepys Terrace
Pine Court
Chequers Road
Kay Hitch Way
Loves Close
Oak Tree Way
Poplar Road
School Lane

 

ZONE E
Ambrose Way
Drake Way
Mill Lane
Paddock Close
Spring Close
Glebe Way
Orchard Road
Garden Court/Walk
Youngman Close / Avenue

New Road/Impington Lane

Signs have just gone up about a coming closure of New Road and Impington Lane on the 12th July.  read more ...

Premier Foods

We've had an update from Louisa Cook, Environmental Manager for Premier Foods, Histon about their Environmental Permit Application for the factory in Histon which is causing them concern.  read more ...

Health Warning – Heatwave Alert at AMBER (Level 2)

The Met Office and NHS Direct are advising that an Amber Level 2 ‘Heat-Health’ Alert has been issued for the next several days.  Chief Forecaster at the Met Office, Martin Young, added: “Temperatures are likely to build through the first part of this week, with a 60% chance of reaching 33 °C by midweek, before becoming less hot by the weekend”.

The NHS Direct website advises:

• Avoid going out in the hottest part of the day (11am-3pm).
• If you go outside, thickly apply sun cream with a SPF (sun protection factor) of at least 15. Children should use a higher SPF sun cream.
• Avoid strenuous outdoor activity, like sport, DIY, or gardening.
• If you go outside, stay in the shade.
• Wear a hat and light, loose-fitting clothes, preferably cotton.
• Close the curtains in rooms that get a lot of sun.
• Take cool showers or baths, and splash yourself several times a day with cold water, particularly your face and the back of your neck.
• Drink regularly even if you do not feel thirsty – water and fruit juice are best.
• Avoid tea, coffee and alcohol as they can cause dehydration.

NHS Choices Advises:

High temperatures can be dangerous, especially for:

• the elderly, 
• the very young, and 
• people with chronic or long-term medical conditions.

In alert level two, you don’t need to take immediate action but if the level of alert is raised, more information will be issued. 

In the meantime, make sure you’re prepared in case the weather stays hot:

• Stay tuned to the weather forecast on the TV or radio. If you’re planning to travel, check the forecast at your destination, too. 
• Plan ahead. Stock up with supplies so you don’t need to go out during extreme heat. Think about what medicines, food and non-alcoholic drinks you’ll need.
• Keep plenty of water to hand and stay in the shade whenever possible.
• Identify the coolest room in the house.

Remember: 

• Enjoy the weather but try to stay cool. Avoid going outside between 11am and 3pm as this is the hottest part of the day. Spend time in the shade and avoid strenuous activity. 
• Help others. Check up on your neighbours, relatives and friends who may be less able to look after themselves (for example, if they have mobility problems). 
• Drink water or fruit juice regularly. Avoid tea, coffee and alcohol. If you do drink alcohol make sure you have lots of water or other non-alcoholic drinks as well. 
• Keep rooms cool by using shade or reflective material external to the glass, or if not possible by closing pale coloured curtains. Metal blinds and dark curtains can make the room hotter.
• Keep the windows closed while the room is cooler than it is outside. If safe, open windows at night when the air is cooler.
• People with heart problems, breathing difficulties or serious illnesses may find their symptoms become worse in hot weather. Make sure you have enough medicines in stock and take extra care to keep cool.

Heat exhaustion can happen to anyone in hot weather and if it isn’t treated it can lead to heatstroke, which can be dangerous and even fatal.

If you or any one else feels unwell, drink water and go somewhere cool to rest. If symptoms such as breathlessness, chest pain, confusion, dizziness, weakness or cramps get worse or don’t go away, seek medical help.

Care homes and hospitals
If you run a care home or hospital, during alert level two you should:

• Monitor indoor temperatures four times a day.
• Prepare cool areas.
• Ensure you have enough staff to help keep residents and patients cool.
• Identify high-risk residents/patients.
• Make sure everyone has access to enough cold water and ice.

 

Contact your doctor, a pharmacist or NHS Direct (0845 4647) if you’re worried about your health during a heatwave, especially if you are taking medication, or have any unusual symptoms.

A14 Junction 37 (Newmarket) to Junction 31 (Girton): Westbound Repair Works

The Parish Council has just received information regarding works on the A14 as follows, from CarillionWSP:  read more ...

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