Club Profile & Activities

Aims and objectives The Association was founded in 1990 ‘to promote international friendship by forming links with communities overseas’. The primary link is with Troisdorf in Germany and there have been secondary links with Minsk in Belarus, Vilnius in Lithuania, Evry, near Paris in France and Heidenau, near Dresden in the former East Germany. The Twinning Association meets two or three times through the year to keep members informed of current activities. The management committee meets every five or six weeks to prepare for visits. The Annual General Meeting is in March. Visiting each other - Every year between 30 and 40 adults and family members travel between the East Cleveland and Troisdorf and each year between 20 and 30 students from local schools and colleges visit each other’s countries. Most visitors stay as family guests with host families, some groups opt to stay in hotels. Activities - Each visit usually has a focal point. This might be centred on a historical tour of the region, a visit to a brewery or the activities of a sports club. A typical week’s stay will begin with an initial meeting to introduce hosts and guests. There will be outings to interest the visitors during the day-time, perhaps a couple of social events during the evenings and a farewell party at the end of the week. Special activities are tailored to suit the needs of special interest groups such as photographic or chess clubs, school gymnastic teams, school study-exchange groups.