Town Twinning
Town Twinning
Background
Town twinning started in Europe after the second world war. The idea was simple: repair damaged relationships between France, Germany and the UK. Find towns that suffered during the wars and pair them. Then encourage people from these areas to meet, mix and get along. That’s why town twinning, at its core, is a good and important thing. From Guardian article on Town Twinning
The council of Europe of which the UK was, and continues to be, a founding member, promotes twinning through the Council of European Municipalities and Regions CEMR which brings together the national associations of local and regional governments from 41 European countries and represents, through them, all levels of territories – local, intermediate and regional.
A government study last year (ONS study 2020) pointed out that many of the strongest links between British and European towns and cities are because of active exchange programmes between schools.
Local twinned towns and villages
Within the Stroud district the following links are registered:
| UK Community | Overseas Community | Overseas Region | Overseas Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amberley | Noisy-Sur-Ecole | Seine-Et-Marne | France |
| Bisley With Lypiatt | Plessala | Cotes-D’Armor | France |
| Dursley | Bovenden | Niedersachsen | Germany |
| Frampton-On-Severn | Bourgbarre | Ille-Et-Vilaine | France |
| Leonard Stanley | Dozule | Calvados | France |
| Nailsworth | Leves | Eurer et Loire | France |
| Slimbridge | St Georges Du Vievre | Eure | France |
| Stroud | Stroud | Oklahoma | USA |
| Stroud | Duderstadt (Gottingen) | Niedersachsen | Germany |
| Wotton-Under-Edge | Beaumont-Le-Roger | Eure | France |
However, whilst some (such as Nailsworth, and Wotton) continue to have very active links and are planning to return to a programme of exchange visits when the Covid-19 pandemic circumstances allow, other groups are less active at present and some report difficulties in getting people involved and raising funding to support exchanges etc.
What do we want to happen?
Brexit was always going to reduce the UK involvement in Europe through giving up our key place in EU decision making, but the current deal and its implementation goes much further in severing links. Trade has been drastically reduced through extra red tape, academic links for universities, colleges, and schools have been impacted by withdrawal from ERASMUS, touring by musicians and other artists has been made much more difficult, etc. Such isolationism impoverishes our region and takes away opportunities for the sort of smaller scale engagements that help people (especially the young) develop the interaction skills to help them in the wider world. Twinning relationships and events can play a part in reducing the harm. Stroud for Europe would like to help support ongoing links, revitalise links that have reduced, and add more links where possible.
How can we help?
If you are already involved in twinning, want to get involved, or have ideas that will help then please get in touch (stroud4europe@gmail.com).