Looking back over the past year it has struck me that Twinning work has a lot in common with gardening!
You can never expect any two years to be the same, new things can flourish, given the right conditions but there are also disappointments and setbacks. It helps to be flexible and resilient, it’s sometimes hard work, needs constant attention and it’s never finished. However, the results are, usually, rewarding and worthwhile!
So, what has ‘grown well’ – since last year’s AGM, to date we have delivered a Programme that has included attendance at 2 outside events (carnival/markets), 2 social committee events, 6 sub-committee social events & visits, 1 major special event (Games Café), and two members self-funded twin town visits, to Szentendre and Salon. In short there have been many opportunities for everyone to enjoy themselves and socialize with friends old and new, as well as helping us continue to raise much needed funds. There is much more to come!
It is our immensely hardworking team that has enabled us to put all these events on, my heartfelt thanks go to each and every one of you on the Executive Committee & beyond, especially for your ability to put disappointments behind you, overcome adverse conditions, get up and do it all over again next time! The Szentendre trip being an excellent case in point, thank you Miriam!
Thanks to this positive attitude, there have been welcome outcomes even when plans have not come to fruition. For example, the work done organising the Youth Festival, has meant our schools are happy to work with us again on events such as the Games Café and this year’s Youth Festival in Wertheim. A testament to Di for achieving this via all the work she does ‘behind the scenes’ in her Youth Liaison role.
You have received all the sub-committee reports, detailing what has gone on in each of their areas, please note the dual roles that many Committee members continue to successfully carry out. There will be the opportunity to ask questions but I would like to mention a couple of things.
Firstly, the very sad loss of Gesine in August last year, the impact this has had on all of us here and her many friends and colleagues in Wertheim is immense, she is very much missed and all that she worked for will continue to be apparent at the Youth Festival in October.
Secondly, the rejuvenation of relationships with Salon. After many years of trying, I am delighted that the successful members trip in May included re-signing of the Charter. We had the opportunity to get to know Philippe Adam, Chair and other members of the new and highly enthusiastic association, Salon Jumelages. Thanks must go to Nan for all the work and consistent effort she put into seeing this come to fruition and we look forward to Salon once again playing a full part in the relationships between our twin towns.
This brings me to our Young Twinners. I am reporting on their behalf this time because of the need to ratify their sub-committee but the recognition, thanks and congratulations for what has been achieved must go to them.
Since the last AGM the group has continued to grow & develop. They are now fully integrated into the HGTA organisation with their own sub-committee representation into Exec Committee. They have organised and put on a successful partnership event for Young Carers in the new Games Café at the Commemoration Hall, they are taking a full part in the Galas and Carnivals, have got the YT WhatsApp Europe chat up and running and have made contact with an initial group in Gubbio. We have agreed a YT trip policy to try and support and encourage one or two young twinners to join in with any trips and events in our twin towns. Two of our YT sub- committee will be joining us for Wertheim and I am particularly pleased to report that one of them will be the third invited representative from HTC with the Mayor and her consort.
Funding is an on going challenge but there has been some progress – an SLA has been agreed with Huntingdon Town Council and we have received funding of £3k from them for the financial year 25/26. They also support us with free use of rooms as part of the agreement. This funding is essential for HGTA to continue. On behalf of HGTA I would like to express our grateful thanks for this on going and positive support. Twinning will now come under the Estates, Amenities and Community Committee and the representative to our Executive Committee meetings will be David Landon Cole, I look forward to working with him over the coming year. I would like to thank Anne Blackwell for her involvement over the past year as representative under the previous arrangement.
We have not received any funding from Godmanchester Town Council for the FY 24/25. However, I recently had a positive meeting with the new Mayor of Godmanchester and new Town Clerk to discuss how we carry out the work of the Twinning Charter on their behalf. A new representative, Jonathan Young has been appointed and we look forward to welcoming him to our Executive Committee in July. I will be attending the July Full Council meeting and hope to attend the Business Portfolio meeting, to update councillors on Twinning and request support for the students and Young Twinners going to Wertheim this year. Mayors and representatives of both towns will be fully involved in discussions for Agenda items to go forward to the Business Meeting there.
We still need to increase our membership, particularly in the 45-60 age group and to encourage and identify more members to come onto our sub committees and Exec Committee so that we can sustain the work we do. We have held a joint sub-committee meeting for the first time to share ideas about what works well and have identified some concrete steps to try over the next six months, to be reviewed in November.
In conclusion, to our members, thank you for all that you do, please consider taking that next step and becoming more involved in the organisation. To our town councils, there is a fantastic team of volunteers here at HGTA who are working to represent your towns via twinning. If all of you, like us, value the opportunities twinning represents for everyone, particularly young people in our communities, please help us to continue. Many seeds have been sown, there’s still much cultivating to be done!
Liz Perrett, 25.6.25
. Thanks to our Social Committee and all our volunteers for organising.
