The arts should be celebrated - fight the cuts

DURING my 25 years as a district councillor for St Ives North and Fenstanton, I was privileged to be the executive councillor for leisure, tourism, parks and open spaces and the arts (I believe three people are now responsible for these services) and dur

DURING my 25 years as a district councillor for St Ives North and Fenstanton, I was privileged to be the executive councillor for leisure, tourism, parks and open spaces and the arts (I believe three people are now responsible for these services) and during that time became very involved with the staff, and the job they were doing.

I remember going to a meeting of all the arts officers and their councillors for Cambridgeshire and we were asked 'what we felt most passionate about'. I wondered what on earth to say. When it came to be my turn I said 'getting enough money so that my officers could run a good arts department for Huntingdonshire'.

I recently went to a spring concert at the Performing Arts Centre, put on by the arts team and as usual it was superb.

Rumour is that the arts budget is going to be axed. Surely not. Not all of us can take part in other leisure and sporting events. Concerts and the arts are equally important for our mental health and well-being. If these rumours are correct, please think again, and perhaps the people responsible could attend one of the concerts and talk to the people they represent, the concert-goers, and what they mean to them.

It is the facilities that are available within easy distance from home that all go to make Huntingdonshire a nice place to live.

JEAN CHANDLER

Beech Drive

St Ives