Ringwood & District Twinning Association’s AGM
Tuesday 26th June 2018
Our Twin Town in France is Pont Audemer in Normandy. It has a population of approximately 9,000. Like Ringwood with the river Avon, a distinctive feature of the town is its river, the Risle. The town has a medieval core of half-timbered houses adjacent to a small network of canals which is a charming and interesting backdrop to the more modern parts of the town.
When did the Twinning begin?
- The two Town Councils signed the formal Twinning Charter in April 1986
- The first Twinning visit to Pont-Audemer was by Ringwood Parish Church Choir in October 1987
- Many years later after the demise of the organising committee a fresh start was made in 2009 with the first visit to Pont-Audemer taking place in March 2011
What are our aims?
- To encourage Ringwood & District residents to develop friendships and understanding with the people of Pont-Audemer
- To learn about the history, life style and culture of another country
- To organise a Twinning visit to Pont-Audemer every two years
What do we do?
- We invite Pont-Audemer residents to visit Ringwood every two years, the next visit is in 2019
- Recruit people to host these visitors
- Organise a welcome reception, if possible on the day of arrival, which is usually hosted and funded by Ringwood Town Council.
- Organise an outing for them to a local attraction
- Organise a group meal at a local restaurant
- Ask that you entertain your guests and organise an outing for them on the other full day
- Organise a reciprocal visit to Pont-Audemer in the alternate years, the next visit is in 2018. Most of us stay with families but some Twinners' prefer to arrange their own accommodation.
- Support some casual visits between people of the two towns
- Help organisations develop their own Twinning visits
How do we fund Twinning events
- Charge an annual membership of £12 per person or £24 for an organisation.....now reduced to £6 and £12 for the rest of the year
- Organise fund-raising social events,
- We try to obtain grants for our activities
- Invite sponsorship from local companies
- Pay our own travel costs
What have we done so far?
- Visited Pont-Audemer in 2012, 2014 and 2016
- Linked sporting and cultural groups in Ringwood with their counterparts in Pont-Audemer
- Hosted a visit by Pont-Audemer here in 2013, 2015 and 2017
- Hosted a Pont-Audemer Camera club visit to Ringwood
- Hosted a visit by their choir Cantarisle Chorale
- Hosted two visits by their folk dancing group La Morelle to take part in Fanfare for Spring
- Supported a Ringwood Camera Club visit to Pont-Audemer
- Supported two RMDS concert visits to Pont-Audemer
- Organised many fund raising events in Ringwood
- Advertised our events on the Town web site, in local newspapers, on Facebook
- Created our own web site
- Organised a joint event with an Austin 7 club
- Hosted a concert by Musique a Trois
- Organised a photographic display of Pont-Audemer in The Meeting House in September 2016 and May 2017
I don’t speak the language, how do I cope?
- We will try to ensure that your visitors speak some English, almost all of them do
- Sign language and humour usually works, so does a glass of wine!
- We will arrange an English speaking host if you prefer that option
How do I do get involved?
We welcome new members and are actively seeking extra new hosts for 2019. We are also seeking Ringwood residents who would like to visit Pont-Audemer in 2018.
You can contact us by any of the methods below. You can join us at any time of the year.
- E-mail the Honorary Secretary at ringwoodtwinning@yahoo.co.uk
- Telephone the membership secretary, Colin Nye on 0770 8558 909
- Take part in one of our fund-raising events open to the public and introduce yourself
- Visit our website www.ringwood-twinning.weebly.com and complete the form on the CONTACT page
| Officers: | ||
| Chair | John Legg | ringwoodtwinning@yahoo.co.uk |
| Honorary Secretary | Colin Nye | ringwoodtwinning@yahoo.co.uk |
| Membership Secretary | Colin Nye | 0770 8558 909 |
Our annual membership fees are:
| Individual: | £12 |
| Family or Group: | £24 (2 votes entitlement per group) |
| Minors in full time education are entitled to free membership. | |
Please contact Colin Nye on 0770 8558 909 for further information and a membership form.
Come & join us – we need your support to make your Association thrive.
AGM of Ringwood & District Twinning Association was held on Wednesday June 14th 2017 - Agenda (PDF) | Minutes (PDF)
AGM 2016 - Minutes (PDF)
