Sixteen people from Cheltenham Bridge Club visited Göttingen for a bridge tournament organised by the Bridge Club there from 29 May to 2 June. This was a reciprocal return visit following a tournament in Cheltenham two years ago and a visit to Annecy Bridge Club last year.
Heinrich Boll School Visit
A group of 6 pupils and 2 teachers from the Heinrich Boll special needs school in Göttingen came to Cheltenham from 15-20 May and had a reception with the Mayor in the Parlour. Last year the group visited the National Star College, this year they were visiting a school in Evesham. The group were staying in Cheltenham and had a programme of activities organised.
Jazz Festival Link
The President of the Annecy Jazz Club visited the Cheltenham Jazz Festival and met with the Festival organiser to discuss the staging of a jazz festival in Annecy with Jamie Cullum performing. The President was very impressed with the set up, organisation and content of the Jazz festival and went back to Annecy with many ideas for their first jazz festival in 2015. Jamie Cullum’s agents had been approached and were aware of the request and the link between the two towns.
Twin Towns and Music
Jonathan McNaught from Cheltenham performed in a Jazz Concert in Göttingen on Friday 4 April with two other musicians from Göttingen, for an evening entitled ‘A musical bridge between partner towns’. In 2009 Jonathan won the Gloucestershire Young Musician of the Year and has taken part in piano concerts as part of the Cheltenham Music Festival. Jonathan loves both jazz and classical music and plays the piano and violin. In 2013 aged 20, he founded the Gloucestershire Symphony Orchestra for students. The Twinning Association were pleased to support Jonathan from the twinning fund, as he represented Cheltenham at this popular musical event.
YMCA Link
A group of 5 people from the Göttingen YMCA were in Cheltenham at the beginning of April for a few days developing links and possible exchanges with Cheltenham YMCA. The group together with the Cheltenham YMCA chairman and trustee had a reception with the Mayor on Wednesday 2 April. Cheltenham YMCA are considering a bike ride to Göttingen in 2015.
Pittville School visit Annecy
A group of 16 pupils and 3 teachers from Pittville School visited Annecy from 30 March to 4 April to link with the St Michel School. The visit was facilitated with a grant of £1,500 from the Twinning Association’s ‘Inspiring Young People through Twinning’ scheme, which aims to stimulate young people’s interest in international languages and cultures to help them with current and future education. The group spent 2 days in their link school, as well as having a boat trip on the lake and a reception at Annecy Town Hall.
Elections in Annecy
Following the second round of municipal elections in France on 30 March, the previous Mayor of Annecy, Jean-Luc Rigaut, was re-elected as Mayor of Annecy for a further term of office with 45.10% of the vote and will be represented by 33 elected members out of the Council of 45. A letter of congratulations was sent to the Mayor of Annecy from the Mayor of Cheltenham.
University Link
In March Prof Joachim Ahrens from the PFH Private university in Göttingen visited Cheltenham for a day to attend a meeting arranged for him to meet with Roland Kaye the interim Dean of the Business School and David Dawson Head of the School of Business and Management at the University of Gloucestershire, to discuss linking and exchange of students via the Erasmus programme. The PFH university already operates this scheme with the University of Worcestershire and are keen to try and develop links with the business school in their twin town’s university.
Summer work in Annecy 2014
Two summer work placements are on offer to young people this summer to improve their French language ability and to gain confidence and experience by living and working in a different country.
Cheltenham Borough Council in conjunction with its French twin town are offering the opportunity of paid employment for 4 weeks within the Municipality of Annecy to two young people aged 18 years or over. A good level of French is desirable (A level) and is ideal for those wishing to improve their language before further studies at university, or wishing to brush up on their French to assist with job potential. The placements on offer are for the month of July and further details of the two posts can be found here.
Interested students should send the Twinning Officer their CV with a paragraph about why they would like this opportunity by 11 April. Selection and interviews will be held at the beginning of May.
Winter Olympics here we come!
Local residents Stephen Meyer and his son Alex are off to Sochi shortly for the Winter Olympics. The pair will be supporting the GB bob sleigh team and are very much looking forward to seeing Cheltenham’s Russian twin town. A celebratory send-off with members of the Cheltenham Twinning Association was held in the Mayor’s Parlour with afternoon tea and cakes and the Twinning Officer gave Alex two of the Sochi Winter Olympics’ mascots. The Chairman wished them a safe and enjoyable trip and asked them to come back with loads of photos to share with us all.
Cheltenham International Partnerships 