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Sandy Twinning Association

2005 marked the 10th anniversary of the first contacts between the communities of Sandy and Skarszewy with the first visits a year later and it is hoped the anniversary will be marked by a special event of some kind in both countries during 2006.

The very first communications were exchanged in late 1995 when representatives of both communities agreed to look at ways of working together for the benefit of citizens of both countries. Much has happened since a delegation of three made up of Josef Ebertowski (then Mayor of Skarszewy), Henryk Pauli and Andrzej Sompolski (interpreter) first came to Sandy in May 1996 and were received by the Sandy Town Council at the Council Officers. This initial visit was followed by a fact finding visit to Poland by Max Hill and Alan Wicks, representing Sandy Twinning Association, during which various principles for the joint co-operation ware established.

The organising mechanism for the link has been fundamentally different between the two countries. In Sandy, The Twinning Association, a voluntary group but with Town Council representation and support, has managed the link throughout. In Skarszewy, all communications have gone through the Town Hall and it is the Council which has determined the organisation. This has not proved easy for the English partners as, with each election every four years, personnel and parties in power have changed and this has necessarily meant a change in emphasis and priorities. On the English side the organising group has remained largely constant over the past 10 years, 'though the Polish link is now managed entirely by the Twinning Committee, along with its link with Malaunay in Northern France, and not by a separate sub-committee as in the early days.

As a result of the various efforts of many individuals on both sides, the following activities have been realised during the duration of the co-operation in both Sandy and Biggleswade. Well over 100 English students have taken part over the years and since 2001 numbers wishing to participate have been so large that now we have summer schools in Both Skarszewy and Starogard. On the Polish side, many hundreds of young people have been given the opportunity to learn English and this initiative has probably been the most far reaching to date.

Exchange visits involving local businessmen took place in 1998. The Polish party included a regional television crew who filmed many aspects of the trip and subsequently made two documentary programmes.

Mr Kristoffe Ebertowski came to England in 2000 on a fact-finding visit sponsored by the District Council. He spent 3 weeks visiting local companies and businesses.

Between 2001 and 2004 there have been two large community visits in each direction. The parties have involved schoolchildren who have taken part in musical concerts and football tournaments and other joint activities have involved women's groups and fishing.

In 2002 an official delegation from Skarszewy led by Mr Stefan Troka, attended the annual Mayor's charity ball at Shuttleworth House.

In December 1993, the European day at one of the primary schools in Skarszewy featured one room devoted entirely to the Sandy link and large quantities of materials and artefacts were sent over for the occasion. Max Hill, the chair of the Twinning Association in Sandy, attended in person.

Co-operation has also extended to other practical areas. Help has been given to the Wolny Dwor fudge factory and the Cultural centre in Skarszewy in respect of the translation into English of key documents and information on sweet wrappers.

David Gunns, Sandy's master baker, brought baking materials to Poland and gave an instructional session to staff at the Skarszewy bakery. The resulting bread sold very well and quickly!

Personal Warnalarms were sent on request to the owners of the hotel in Skarszewy.

As is usual with such links there has been a formal exchange of pictures, glassware and other memorabilia and other memorabilia some of which is to be found in the respective Town Halls.

What of the Future?

To date the co-operation has stopped short of a formal twinning, largely for practical reasons. This would be an option for the future especially now that Poland is a full member of the European Union and budget flights with attractive prices now operate daily between London and Gdansk direct. It is possible to travel from Sandy to Skarszewy by air in less than 5 hours whereas the journey by coach takes around 30!

Hopefully the summer schools will continue as they provide wonderful opportunities for young people from both countries and perhaps we will see more family links as travelling becomes easier. Numbers volunteering for 2006 are a record 37!

What we should do above all is to try ands establish working groups on both sides who can maintain regular contacts with one another and research a range of opportunities for diversifying the link and so involving more and more people. The ultimate aim has to be for the link to touch as many citizens as possible in both communities and offer them social, cultural, linguistic, aesthetic opportunities to enrich their lives.

A great deal has been achieved over the past 10 years and much can be done in the future. Moreover, the co-operation doesn't and shouldn't need to be finance driven.

Appendix for 2006

It has now been agreed by the mayor of Skarszewy, Mr Dariusz Skalski, that responsibility for the link with Sandy should pass to the Director of the Cultural Centre, Mr Ryszard Kotarski. This development will hopefully ensure greater stability.

Mr and Mrs Kotarski accepted an invitation to attend the reopening of Sandy Town centre during October.

Max Hill travelled to Poland in early December for three days of planning with key figures in Skarszewy. The visit was extremely productive with joint grant application forms completed and an agreement on activities and dates for 2006/2007.

Contact Sandy Twinning Association:

Chairman: Max Hill
21 The Green,
Beeston,
Sandy,
Bedfordshire,
SG19 1PE
Telephone: 01767 681469

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