Caerphilly County Borough Council Twinning Strategy 2009 Π2011
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DRAFT TWINNING STRATEGY 2009 - 2012 D:\stellent\IdcRefinery\shared\ConversionEngines\Master_on_stellcon-main\031597.doc 1 o f16 CONTENTS 1. PURPOSE............................................................................................................ 3 2. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES.................................................................................... 3 3. PRIORITIES/FOCUS ........................................................................................... 3 4. OUTLINE OF TWINNING GROUP ...................................................................... 5 5. CAERPHILLY’S PARTNER TOWNS .................................................................. 7 6. OTHER TWINNING LINKS.................................................................................. 9 7. ACTION PLANS AND PLANNED ACTIVITIES................................................. 11 8. MEASURE ......................................................................................................... 15 D:\stellent\IdcRefinery\shared\ConversionEngines\Master_on_stellcon-main\031597.doc 2 o f16 1. PURPOSE 1.1 This strategy is developed to give a clear focus on the activities currently undertaken with our twinning partners Ludwigsburg and Písek and to set out the direction for the next three years. The strategy aims to give clear focus on priority projects/areas, enabling the Council to undertake long- term project and funding planning. 1.2 The strategy identifies key players in the areas of youth, community and professional who are central to the strategy’s successful implementation. 1.3 The twinning strategy will also demonstrate how it intends to measure the benefits to the council and the communities of Caerphilly county borough. 2. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 2.1 The key aim of the twinning strategy is to create a sense of European identity for the citizens of Caerphilly county borough through the exchange of people, skills and goods. Our twinning partnerships provide opportunities for people from different countries and cultures to come together. This will help to increase their understanding of the world and can broaden their horizons. Importantly it will, we believe, help promote tolerance and respect for others, thereby combating racism and xenophobia. 2.2 Actively involve all members of the community, regardless of age, ethnic or religious background, gender, disability, social or economic status. It will help people get to know others within their own local community, thereby increasing understanding of other people locally, as well as between two communities in different countries. 2.3 The strategy will focus on learning and development of skills in a European global context and will support youth, community and professional exchanges and projects in particular in the areas of European citizenship, community regeneration and sustainable development. 3. PRIORITIES/FOCUS 3.1 We believe that in order to successfully promote and support our aims and objectives, a twinning committee (diagram 1) focusing on the three core areas: Youth, Community and Professional needs to be established. Each of the three areas is run jointly by the Council’s relevant directorates/divisions together with of other key sections of that group, i.e. nominated personnel from schools, colleges, ESIS and voluntary organisations. D:\stellent\IdcRefinery\shared\ConversionEngines\Master_on_stellcon-main\031597.doc 3 o f16 3.2 Action plans (point 5) and decisions made in the areas of Youth, Community and Professional will be discussed and reviewed in regular meetings by the committee. 3.3 Youth: A clear focus for our twinning partnerships will be to provide a realistic context for learning. Activities will be developed that relate directly to the curriculum and taking part in a twinning link will also enhance key skills such as communication, language learning and organisation. 3.4 Community: We will use twinning to motivate key sections of the community, such as ethnic minorities, young people and disadvantaged groups, who may not always be involved in council activities or have contact abroad. We will aim to stimulate local interest and make the links with our twinning counterparts work for the benefit of all. Through community groups taking part in twinning activities we will raise public consciousness and encourage debate on major global issues, such as the environment or racism. The twinning partnership will also be used as a learning tool for all age groups in understanding the social, political, environmental and economic issues that face other parts of the world. Community regeneration is another specific area of common interest and with our twinning partners we will share information, ideas and solutions, which can be effective when transferred across borders and countries. 3.5 Professional Through the challenges associated with resolving technical issues in a new environment, twinning links will provide innovative training opportunities for all levels of staff and in a number of subject areas, ranging from management development to practical skills. Sustainable development and in particular climate changes are now a real challenge facing councils across the world. We will seek opportunities for our respective colleagues to meet, discuss and work together on solutions for better use of energy and reducing carbon footprints. We will bring together through the twinning partnership, experts and interest groups in health and social welfare, which will lead to improvements in community services and facilities. Sharing expertise and experience on issues such as unemployment and drug and alcohol dependency, and comparing facilities for the young and elderly which will enable changes at a local level that can make a real difference to people’s lives. Our twinning partnerships will allow small and large organisations, in both the public and private sectors, to explore potential economic benefits of cooperation. Tourism is recognised as a key component to the economy of many areas, and overseas partnerships can help promote an area. D:\stellent\IdcRefinery\shared\ConversionEngines\Master_on_stellcon-main\031597.doc 4 o f16 4. OUTLINE OF TWINNING GROUP Twinning Group Youth Community Professional Directorate of Directorate of Chief Executive Education & Leisure Education & Leisure Division: Economic Division: Learning, Division: Lifelong Development, Tourism & Education & Inclusion Learning & Leisure European Affairs Welsh Assembly Arts Council Government Schools for Wales Department of Enterprise, Innovation & Networks Sports Council CCBC Council Tertiary Colleges for Wales Admin staff Community Clubs Health & Welfare ESIS Music, Arts, Sports Voluntary Other twinning Local businesses Organisations Organisations Regeneration & Sustainability 4.1 The membership of this group would draw on officers from the relevant directorates and have a cabinet member representative. It would also draw on the external bodies expertise as and when necessary. D:\stellent\IdcRefinery\shared\ConversionEngines\Master_on_stellcon-main\031597.doc 5 o f16 5. CAERPHILLY’S PARTNER TOWNS 5.1 Our twinning partnerships are diverse and divided into county borough twinning partnerships (Ludwigsburg and Caerphilly) and town twinning partnerships. (Caerphilly – Lannion, Machen – Sautron, Llanbradach – Ploubezre, Blackwood – Protovin). 5.2 The borough twinning links with the towns of Ludwigsburg and Pisek are considered priority-twinning partnerships with an active involvement by the council. Caerphilly County Borough Council will in particular support and drive forward initiatives focussing on education, sustainable development and community regeneration. Subject to available funding, we will financially support projects where future benefits can be demonstrated. 5.3 The twinning arrangements of the individual towns below described in “Other Town Twinning partnerships” are regarded responsibility of the individual town Councils, however Caerphilly County Borough Council will support the area of school exchanges by helping to set up school links for joint projects and exchanges. Due to limited funding we will not be able to support any projects financially. Ludwigsburg (Germany) 5.4 Location and history: Ludwigsburg is situated on the River Neckar in Southern Germany, 15km from Stuttgart, the capital of Baden- Württemberg region. 5.5 Ludwigsburg is one of the best-known Swabian towns in the region with a magnificent Baroque Palace, which is set in the centre of the town amidst impressive gardens and a lake. The Palace has 425 rooms and is liken to Versailles and is a huge attraction to many of the 2 million tourists who visit Ludwigsburg each year. Along side the Palace is the world famous porcelain factory - Queen Elizabeth was presented with a dinner service of ‘white gold’ porcelain, which is still as much in demand today as ever. 5.6 The town sprang up in the early 18th Century at the instructions of Duke Eberhard Ludwig and has been visited by famous people in the past including Leopold Mozart and his son Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Today the town is inhabited by more than 90,000 people and is a large bustling vibrant town with many shopping centres, small specialists shops, bars, cafés and restaurants. Ludwigsburg is a university/college town and has a number of schools. In the heart of the town is the impressive Forum, which as the cultural centre of the region stages a wide range of musical, theatrical and entertainment events. There are many indoor and outdoor swimming pools, tennis courts and fitness