Carols on the green to bring community together

A community will gather together next Monday to enjoy Christmas carols in what is hoped will be the start of a series of village events.

Invites are being posted through the door of homes in Flempton and Hengrave inviting residents to Carols on Flempton Green on 11 December.

The event is being organised by resident Dan Boughton alongside Flempton-cum-Hengrave Parish Council and is backed by £440 of locality budget funding from St Edmundsbury Borough Council ward member Cllr Susan Glossop.

Mr Boughton said: “I’ve only recently moved to Flempton from Bury St Edmunds but I wanted to help organise events that will really bring the community together. I hope that Carols of the Green, not only becomes an annual event, but also part of a series of events throughout the year that will bring residents of Flempton and Hengrave out together to socialise and make new friends.”

Cllr David Bambury, chair of the parish council said: “Mr Boughton is a very active member of the Bury St Edmunds Round Table and has been heavily involved in organising its excellent annual firework display in the Abbey Gardens. We hope this event will be the first of many and it offers the chance for us all to come out, join in the carol singing, and of course enjoy a mince pie and a glass of mulled wine to warm us up. As well as this the Carols on the Green event will also help raise funds for the restoration of our historic bus stop in Flempton.”

Mayor of St Edmundsbury Cllr Terry Clements will be attending the carols on the green event which will also include a Christmas lights switch on.

The locality budget from Cllr Glossop will be used to pay for mulled wine, mince pies, orange juice, speaker hire, a Christmas tree, and Christmas lights.

Cllr Glossop said: “This will be a great opportunity for the residents to get together and meet all the new people who have moved into the villages . We love where we live in Flempton and Hengrave – they are two beautiful villages – and this will be a real community celebration for people of all ages. I’m really pleased to be able to support this great event and I’m very much looking forward to joining in with the carols on 11 December.”