NINA MORGAN
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Organisers seek over £1m to fund centenary celebrations
The stately home of Brocket Hall provided the magnificent setting for Lord Salisbury to host a reception to launch the WGC Centenary to supporters of the town.
The purpose of the event was to showcase 14 events planned for 2020 to celebrate 100 years of WGC.
Attendees included the Lord Lieutenant for Hertfordshire Robert Voss, and two Chelsea Pensioners.
Guests were invited to support the WGC Centenary Foundation (WGCCF), a registered charity, established to steer the programme of events to fruition as it seeks to raise funding and sponsorship of over £1million.
Driven by the community, some events will be one-off, while others are more ending.
Projects include the restoration of a natural swallow hole in Sherrardspark Wood as a place accessible for all, which can be used once more for community activities.
In the early days of WGC, residents used this area as a theatre and it became known as the Dell.
A number of plays (mainly Shakespeare), choral, music and other events too place until 1951.
A carnival is planned for July 11 2020, as well as an art and sculpture exhibition and a royal visit. Another project underway is the ‘City of Trees’. WGC has more than 19,000 trees and information is being collated about them and will be used to produce a series of walks.
WGCCF is also considering having a centenary beacon, which could burn on the Campus like an Olympic flame to signal the start and the finish of the centenary year
Other projects are also being organised by community groups, businesses, schools, the local authority and residents.
Lord Salisbury, as patron of the WGCCF, thanked Brocket Hall for the hospitality.
A WCGCF spokesman said: “He was very pleased to have been asked to be the patron of the foundation, most particularly since his grandfather was very involved with enabling Ebenezer Howard to realize his vision by making land available to the WGC Company.”
WCGCF Chairman Peter Waine said: “We are proudly celebrating the first 100 years, reflecting on our legacy on town planning worldwide.”
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