Request for Financial Assistance from Helensburgh and District Twinning Association
Argyll and Bute Council · 10 June 2025
Back to Helensburgh & Lomond Area Committee — 10 June 2025 and its agenda
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ARGYLL AND BUTE COUNCIL Helensburgh and Lomond Area Committee Legal and Regulatory Support 10 June 2025 REQUEST FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FROM HELENSBURGH AND DISTRICT TWINNING ASSOCIATION 1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This report provides information on a request from the Helensburgh and District Twinning Association for financial assistance to help assist with the costs of hosting visitors from Thouars August in 2025 and asks Members of the Area Committee to agree to utilise the Twinning Budget for 2025/26.
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ARGYLL AND BUTE COUNCIL Helensburgh and Lomond Area Committee Legal and Regulatory Support 10 June 2025 REQUEST FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FROM HELENSBURGH AND DISTRICT TWINNING ASSOCIATION 2.0 INTRODUCTION 2.1 A request for financial assistance from the Helensburgh and Lomond Area Committee Twinning Budget 2025/26 has been received from the Helensburgh and District Twinning Association which will assist with the costs of hosting visitors from Thouars in August 2025 – please see appendix 1. 3.0 RECOMMENDATIONS 3.1 Members are asked to agree to grant the sum of £625 from the Helensburgh and Lomond Area Twinning Budget for 2025/26 to Helensburgh and District Twinning Association. 4.0 DETAIL 4.1 Helensburgh – Thouars Twinning Association was set up in 1983 with Dumbarton District Council to link the town of Thouars, France with Helensburgh. The Twinning Agreement was re-signed with Argyll and Bute Council in 1999. 4.2 The twinning between Helensburgh and Thouars has proven to be successful with visits between the two towns, which has assisted French and Scottish young people with work experience in another country and is of great benefit to those who are learning languages. 4.3 The Association promotes the twinning links locally, with an increasing number of young people and young families participating in the twinning links. 4.4 The Argyll and Bute Council budget available to financially support twinning initiatives across all 4 areas for 2025/26 is £2,500. 5.0 CONCLUSION 5.1 The Twinning Association wishes to continue to promote links with
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Thouars and this would be assisted by the awarding of the grant to help with the costs of visits planned for 2025. 6.0 IMPLICATIONS 6.1 Policy – Consistent with the Council’s policy of supporting twinning links between Helensburgh and Thouars. 6.2 Financial – Utilises the Twinning Budget for Helensburgh and Lomond for 2025/26. 6.3 Legal – None 6.4 HR – None 6.5 Fairer Scotland Duty: 6.5.1 Equalities – protected characteristics - None 6.5.2 Socio-economic Duty - None 6.5.3 Islands – None 6.6 Climate Change – None 6.7 Risk – None 6.8 Customer Service – None 6.9 The Rights of the Child (UNCRC) – None Douglas Hendry Executive Director with Responsibility for Legal and Regulatory Support Councillor Mark Irvine, Policy Lead for Community Planning and Corporate Services May 2025 For further information contact: Stuart McLean, Committee Manager Telephone 01436 658717– stuart.mclean@argyll-bute.gov.uk Appendix 1 – Letter from Helensburgh and District Twinning Association