Downpatrick Twinning Partnership Plan Busy Programme

THE Downpatrick Twinning Partnership is planning a busy programme of twinning exchanges over the coming months following funding being secured from the Europe for Citizens Programme.

[caption id="attachment_44329" align="alignleft" width="390"]Members of the Downpatrick Twinning Partnership, Angela Gilchrist and Liam with partnership members from across the EU. Members of the Downpatrick Twinning Partnership, Patricia and Angela Gilchrist with Liam Higgins and partnership members from across the EU at the recent meeting. [/caption]

Downpatrick along with its town twinning partners Ceuti (Spain); Listowel (Ireland); Jelgava (Latvia); Michalowice (Poland); Szekszard (Hungary); Iezer (Romania); Valenca (Portugal) and Bezons (France), aims to co-ordinate a series of five themed twinning exchange meetings over the next twelve months.

The aim of the themed twinning exchange meetings is to examine how local people can be engaged more fully in the European Union (EU) by promoting greater EU citizenship for youth, older persons, disabled people, socially disadvantaged and Roma people. This will allow for an exchanging of ideas and best practice to show how the Citizens Programme helps encourage the above groups to engage more fully at local, national and EU level and thereby promoting a more socially inclusive active EU citizenship.

President of the Downpatrick Twinning Partnership, Mr John Noble said: “It is important that everyone has an opportunity to engage with town twinning and these meetings with our partners across Europe will allow us to share ideas and best practice on how to engage more people.

“Town twinning affords people chances to engage with the European Union, meet new friends and develop close personal contacts with other people across Europe,” he added.

The partnership is looking for anyone who may be in interested in the above exchanges or who may wish to find out more information about the Downpatrick Twinning Partnership, to contact them by telephoning 07711561433 or emailing:

 dtwinningp@aol.co.uk

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