Request for Financial Assistance - Helensburgh and District Twinning Association
Argyll and Bute Council · 14 June 2022
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ARGYLL AND BUTE COUNCIL Helensburgh and Lomond Area Committee Legal and Regulatory Support 14 June 2022 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 2022/23.
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ARGYLL AND BUTE COUNCIL Helensburgh and Lomond Area Committee Legal and Regulatory Support 14 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 2022/23 has been received from the Helensburgh and District Twinning Association which will assist with the costs of a visit to Thouars in 2023 and with costs for a visit from residents of Thouars to Helensburgh scheduled to take place in 2024. 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 2022/23 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 2022/23 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 The Committee organised a very successful visit to Thouars in July 2019 and were looking forward to a planned visit by the French Committee this
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year. However, due to the volatile situation in terms of the Covid-19 pandemic, the anticipated visit by the French Committee in 2022 has been cancelled and rescheduled for 2024. They have also noted that fundraising activities have been limited due to the impact of the pandemic. 4.6 The Association are also planning a trip to Thouars in 2023 to celebrate the Twinning Association’s 40th anniversary. They plan to utilise the funding if awarded to subsidise travel from the airport for the children when they travel to France and towards travel and tickets for excursions for the French Committee visit in 2024. A letter outlining the request and further details of the requirement for funding is attached as Appendix 1 to this report. 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 2024. 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 2022/23. 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 Community Planning and Corporate Services – Councillor John McAlpine 25 June 2022 For further information contact: Shona Barton, Committee Manager Telephone 01436 657605 - shona.barton@argyll-bute.gov.uk Appendix 1 – Letter from Helensburgh and District Twinning Association