Impington resident and recently retired H&I Parish Councillor Denis Payne has been awarded the honour of Community Hero in a ceremony at city based football club, Cambridge United.
Nominated by his season ticket holder son Ben, Denis was presented with the award at the Cledara Abbey Stadium in Newmarket Road Cambridge following their home match against Huddersfield Town on 29 August.
The certificate reads: ‘This certificate is proudly presented to Denis Payne in recognition of their outstanding dedication, selflessness, and positive impact within our community. Through their commitment, passion, and support, they embody the true spirit of Cambridge United, inspiring others and making a lasting difference’.
Deserving of recognition
Set up by the club to celebrate the amazing work happening across our local communities, they ask fans to nominate people who deserve recognition.
Each chosen Community Hero is given four tickets to a specific fixture, celebrated on the pitch, spotlighted on club channels and awarded a Community Hero certificate.
Talking to HI HUB about the reasons behind his nomination, Ben said: “I mean the list will go on here, but the years of service and sacrifice that he’s given to Histon & Impington through the years supporting the council, and then also doing the work for bettering the village.
“I’ve seen this from the sidelines and the hours that he’s been at meetings, or parish council events over those years and how important that’s been to him and also the village. Being a Cambridge supporter I felt that I wanted him to have the recognition outside of the parish and felt this seemed a good way of doing it!”
If you know someone who you think deserves recognition as a CUFC Community Hero, nominations can be submitted via the form on their website.
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