Swaffham Newsletter

In Touch With Your Town
'In Touch with your Town' is put
together by the Town Clerk Richard
Bishop or occasionally by the Deputy
Town Clerk Claire Smith. It deals
with some of the most topical items
of the day and the odd item where the Council
want to share information with the Town.
Swaffham High Street Awarded £36,000 For
Cultural Programme
Swaffham Town Council is delighted to have been
awarded a £36,000 grant from Historic England as
part of the Swaffham High Street Heritage Action
Zone (HSHAZ) to create and deliver communityled
cultural activities on the high street over the
next year. Swaffham HSHAZ is one of more than
60 high streets to receive a share of £6 million for
their cultural programme. Over the next year, the
cultural programme activities will centre around
the life and work of Howard Carter, the son of
Swaffham who discovered Tutankhamun’s tomb a
century ago. Activities will include an interactive
drama production celebrating the work of Howard
Carter, created by Year 9 High School pupils and
children from Swaffham primary schools, and
performed within the HSHAZ area. A mosaic of a
pyramid will be created to commemorate Howard
Carter’s work in Egypt and primary school children
will carry out their own archaeological dig. Another
highlight will be a Festival weekend in September.
More information on all events and activities will
be announced through the year.
The programme will be designed and delivered by
the Swaffham Cultural Consortium with ongoing
support from Swaffham Town Council and the
Swaffham HSHAZ team at Breckland District
Council.
This is part of the four-year-long High Street
Heritage Action Zone’s Cultural Programme, led by
Historic England, in partnership with Arts Council
England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The Cultural Programme aims to make our high
streets more attractive, engaging and vibrant places
for people to live, work and spend time.
Tony Calladine, Regional Director for Historic
England in the East of England said:
“The high street cultural programme is a step
change in the way we think about bringing high
streets back from the brink. As we start to see these
important historic spaces become regenerated
through building work, it is the community-led
cultural work that helps people to enjoy their high
street again and also have a say in what the future
of their high street might be.”
Judy Anscombe, Mayor of Swaffham said:
“Swaffham Town Council are pleased to receive
this grant from Historic England and look forward
to working with Swaffham Cultural Consortium
and its partners in delivering this exciting
programme. The generous support from Historic
England will allow us to engage with the many
organisations and our growing community in
a Cultural Programme until March 2024, which
will commence with events in 2022 to celebrate
the centenary of Howard Carter on discovering
Tutankhamun’s tomb. From the many activities
and events planned, the Cultural Programme’s
legacy, will be to gain new skills and friendships
across all age groups and to highlight the heritage
of the Market Place as a tourist base.”
Christmas Market Weekend
A Christmas market, ice skating and live nativity is
set to entertain families at the annual Christmas
event in Swaffham, which promises to be bigger
and better this year. Swaffham’s Christmas light
switch-on is a festive event which attracts families
from across the county.
The Christmas Market Weekend will be held on
the weekend of December 4th and 5th and the
official light switch-on will take place at 5pm on
the Sunday. Kicking off on the Saturday, families
will have the opportunity to ice skate or attend the
town’s usual market. On the Saturday evening we
have Live music in the Town Centre with the Little
Mix Tribute Band LMX and a Food Market.
You can buy a ticket in our Christmas Raffle; first
prize is £200. Tickets available from the Town Hall,
on the Town Council Market stall in the Saturday’s
leading into the event and of course on the Town
Council stand on the Saturday or Sunday, which will
be located near the Ice Rink.
Get your Skates on...you can BOOK online
Something new this year - an artificial Ice rink for
the event
• Saturday 4th Dec - half hours slots from 4pm to
9pm (last booking taken for 8.30pm)
• Sunday 5th Dec - half hour slots from 12noon to
6pm (last booking taken for 5.30pm)
Cost is £5.00 per person per half hour slot.
• Skating time is approx. 20 mins, to allow for
putting on and taking off the skates.
• There are 25 places available for each half hour
slot.
You can book a slot in advance via Ticketsource:
please note there is a small fee of 42p payable to
Ticketsource for this.
You can also pay on the day however you may be
restricted on timings and available slots so booking
in advance is recommended.
The ice rink will be situated on the planned road
closure - west side of the market place.
Tickets will be available to pre-book up to Friday
3rd Dec, thereafter it will be payment only on the
day, subject to availability.
Santa’s Grotto…. You can BOOK online
He's Back...Santa Claus is coming to town
Santa's Grotto will be in the Assembly Rooms on
Sunday 5th Dec from 11am to 6pm.
Cost is £3.50 per child which includes a small gift.
To avoid queues, make sure everyone gets to see
Santa we are encouraging everyone to pre-book.
There are 15 places available, every 15 mins (the
last booking is for 5.45pm). You can book a slot in
advance via Ticketsource: please note there is a
small fee of 29p payable to Ticketsource for this.
You can also pay on the day however you may be
restricted on timings and available slots so booking
in advance is really recommended.
Tickets will be available to pre-book up to Friday
3rd Dec, thereafter it will be payment only on the
day, subject to availability.
Breckland District Council
www.breckland.gov.uk
01362 656 870. For all enquiries regarding: Planning,
Refuse Bins, Housing, Recycling, Licensing & Benefits
Your Breckland District Councillors:
Cllr. David Wickerson
01760 725 741
david.wickerson@
breckland.gov.uk
The Town Council
Mayor - Cllr Judy Anscombe
CllrAnscombe.SwaffhamTC@gmail.com
Deputy Mayor - Cllr Stewart Bell
CllrBell.SwaffhamTC@gmail.com
Cllr. Lindsay Beech
CllrBeech.SwaffhamTC@gmail.com
Cllr. Nayna Bass
CllrBass.SwaffhamTC@gmail.com
Cllr. Wendy Bensley
CllrBensley.SwaffhamTC@gmail.com
Cllr. Paul Darby
CllrDarby.SwaffhamTC@gmail.com
Cllr. Graham Edwards
CllrEdwards.SwaffhamTC@gmail.com
Cllr. Colin Houghton
CllrHoughton.SwaffhamTC@gmail.com
Cllr. Shirley Matthews
CllrMatthews.SwaffhamTC@gmail.com
Cllr. Kurt Oliver
CllrOliver.SwaffhamTC@gmail.com
Cllr. Ian Pilcher
CllrPilcher.SwaffhamTC@gmail.com
Cllr. Les Scott
CllrScott.SwaffhamTC@gmail.com
Cllr. Jill Skinner
CllrSkinner.SwaffhamTC@gmail.com
Officers:
Richard Bishop – Town Clerk
townclerk@swaffhamtowncouncil.gov.uk
Claire Smith – Deputy Town Clerk
deputyclerk@swaffhamtowncouncil.gov.uk
Cllr. Ian Sherwood
07795 236 878
ian.sherwood@
breckland.gov.uk
Cllr Ed Colman - also your Norfolk County Councillor
07940 406 356
ed.colman@breckland.gov.uk / ed.colman.cllr@norfolk.gov.uk
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