Eight 10 and 11 year olds from Woodmancote primary school spent 4 days in Annecy from 8-12 June, linking with the La Plaine primary school. 
The trip was part funded with a grant from the Inspiring young people through twinning fund. The young children prepared songs and presentations to perform at the Annecy school and are now preparing further presentations about their visit to show to their own school pupils as well as taking into other schools in the Cheltenham Learning Partnership. An interesting report on the visit has been produced by the head teacher.
Visitor from Cheltenham USA
On Tuesday 4 June, the Mayor and Deputy Mayor received a visitor from CheltenhamPennsylvania in the Parlour. David West was on a 4 day visit to Cheltenham, having spent some weeks on secondment at Kraft Foods many years ago. David was very interested in the history of the town and our links with the USA. A member of the Twinning Association and local history society showed him around the town.
David had a momento of Cheltenham Races from the 60’s which he asked us all to sign.
Bridge between Annecy and Cheltenham
From 8-13 May, eleven members of Cheltenham Bridge Club took part in a Bridge tournament in Annecy, together with two members of a Göttingen Bridge Club. During the stay the members played in three bridge tournaments, had a boat tour on the lake, a reception at the Hotel de Ville, time to explore both the town of Annecy and the surrounding mountains and enjoyed superb hospitality and friendship. A report on the visit ends: ‘If the purpose of twinning is to nurture friendships between the citizens of the towns, then this visit did just that – in spades!!’
Cheltenham students experience Annecy
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wo Cheltenham students, Phoebe Harris from Balcarras School and Flora McFarlane from Pates, were chosen to go and work in Annecy for the month of July as part of a work placement scheme organised between the two councils. Phoebe will be working with Annecy’s parks and gardens team and Flora in the Youth Information Office, giving advice to students and young people coming to study and work in Annecy. Cheltenham students work alongside young people from Annecy’s other twin towns.
wo Cheltenham students, Phoebe Harris from Balcarras School and Flora McFarlane from Pates, were chosen to go and work in Annecy for the month of July as part of a work placement scheme organised between the two councils. Phoebe will be working with Annecy’s parks and gardens team and Flora in the Youth Information Office, giving advice to students and young people coming to study and work in Annecy. Cheltenham students work alongside young people from Annecy’s other twin towns.Göttingen’s International Week
From 22 April to 5 May, Göttingen celebrated their links with their twin towns with a display of local produce and information from each town in their Kauf Park shopping mall. Representatives from Pau France, Torun Poland and Cheltenham UK were invited for the last weekend of the international fortnight as this coincided with presentations to mark the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Göttingen Twinning Association.
As part of the International Weekend celebrations, the Lower Saxony Police Orchestra performed a concert in the Kauf Park and donated their fee of 1000 Euros to the Göttingen Twinning Association who in turn pledged the money to help with the cost of the International Youth for Peace Camp to be held in their twin town of Pau in August.
Visit of the Heinrich Boll School
From 3-6 May a group of 5 pupils and 2 leaders from the Heinrich Boll School in Göttingen visited Cheltenham. Previously the Göttingen school had linked with Bettridge School, but withdrawal of European funding had prevented this link developing. The Twinning Officer arranged a visit for the group to the National Star College, which very much impressed them, to the extent that one young Göttingen boy wished to stay and attend school there!
Successful Movida work placements
On 25 April, the Mayor hosted a reception to say farewell to 5 Göttingen young people who had been in Cheltenham for 6 weeks as part of the Movida apprenticeship work placement exchange scheme. Nina Homann and Lisa Schmidt worked with Cheltenham Borough Council in Licensing and Ubico’s waste and recycling team, Vanessa Rost and Daniel Schmidt worked with NARIC UK and Shari Brauer at the Oxfam bookshop. All placements were very successful, with excellent reports from all placement providers. Unfortunately this could be the last of these apprenticeship placements due to withdrawal of EU funding for the project.
Summer work in Annecy
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 30 April. Selection and interviews will be held at the beginning of May.
Movida work placements
On Sunday 17 March, 5 young apprentices from Göttingen arrived in Cheltenham for a 6 week work experience programme as part of the Movida project with Göttingen. Work placements have been offered by Cheltenham Borough Council Licensing team, UBICO waste and recycling team, UK NARIC and Oxfam bookshop in Cheltenham. The apprentices are being hosted by families in Cheltenham and will take part in visits to Oxford, Stratford, Bath and Gloucester. They will also meet up with members of the German Club and have a reception with the Mayor towards the end of their stay on 25 April.
Ribston Hall High School Exchange
On Tuesday 5 March, 46 students from Ribston Hall High School, Crypt School and their Göttingen link school IGS, met with the Mayor and members of the twinning association and German club for a talk and reception. The 23 students from Göttingen were here for a week on the return leg of their exchange (our students having been to Göttingen in November). The older year 12 students were doing a one week work placement whilst here, and the year 10 students were going into school with their partners and sightseeing. Many friendships were made and plans for the next exchange have already started. This exchange was supported by a grant from the Inspiring Young People Through Twinning fund.
Cheltenham International Partnerships 