Request for Financial Assistance from Helensburgh and District Twinning Association
Argyll and Bute Council · 13 June 2023
Back to Helensburgh & Lomond Area Committee — 13 June 2023 and its agenda
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ARGYLL AND BUTE COUNCIL Helensburgh and Lomond Area Committee Legal and Regulatory Support 13 June 2023 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 which would help with a visit to Thouars in 2023 and a visit to Helensburgh by residents from Thouars in 2024 and asks Members of the Area Committee to agree to utilise the Twinning Budget for 2023/24.
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ARGYLL AND BUTE COUNCIL Helensburgh and Lomond Area Committee Legal and Regulatory Support 13 June 2022 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 2023/24 has been received from the Helensburgh and District Twinning Association which will assist with the costs of a visit to Thouars in July 2023 and with costs for a visit from residents of Thouars to Helensburgh scheduled to take place in 2025. 3.0 RECOMMENDATIONS 3.1 Members are asked to agree to grant the sum of £833 from the Helensburgh and Lomond Area Twinning Budget for 2023/24 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 Argyll and Bute Council budget available for the Helensburgh and Lomond area for 2023/24 is £833 to financially support twinning initiatives. 4.3 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. 4.4 The Association promotes the twinning links locally, with an increasing number of young people and young families participating in the twinning links. 4.5 A proposed visit to Helensburgh in 2022 was cancelled due to the Covid Pandemic and it has been agreed that the next visit to Helensburgh by a
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Thouars delegation will be held in 2025. Funding awarded last year by the Area Committee will be utilised for this and fundraising will continue in support of this trip. 4.6 The Association are planning a trip to Thouars in July 2023 to celebrate the Twinning Association’s 40th anniversary. The Association are hoping to pay for a catered meal during the trip and funding will be used towards the cost of this. 5.0 CONCLUSION 5.1 The Twinning Association wishes to continue to promote links with Thouars and this would be assisted by the awarding of the grant to help with the costs of visits planned for 2023 and 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 2023/24. 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 6.7 Customer Service - None Executive Director with Responsibility for Legal and Regulatory Support – Douglas Hendry Policy Lead for Economic Growth, Communities and Corporate Services – Councillor Alastair Redman 15 May 2023 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