Stuttgart partners ‘kindly pay’ for most of St Helens Council expenses
As previously reported by the Star, members of St Helens Council flew to Germany last month to mark one of the oldest twinning arrangements in Europe, which began just after the Second World War.
Members from St Helens Youth Council, St Helens Music Service band, students and teachers from Cowley International College, representatives from St Helens Town Football Club and local dance group UC crew also joined the visit to help strengthen the bonds between the German counterparts.
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Cowley students and St Helens Youth Council also attended the trip (Image: St Helens Council)As part of the 75th anniversary, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed by St Helens Council Leader David Baines and the Mayor of Stuttgart to renew the vows of the twinning project and spell out areas for collaboration.
Young musicians from St Helens performed at the City Hall in Stuttgart to mark the occasion, while St Helens dance group UC Crew performed a joint improvised break dance performance with Underground SoulCypher from Stuttgart.
Students from Cowley International College presented a gift of a stain glass window from the people of St Helens to Stuttgart, which was co-designed by young people in both areas, and symbolises the origin of the twinning partnership in 1948.
Young people who performed in Stuttgart for St Helens Music Service (Image: St Helens Council)There were also tours of the urban developments across the city, as well as schools, railway projects, and health facilities.
The visit also saw the naming of a new park in the borough’s honour, St Helens Platz, which is currently taking shape as part of regeneration plans in the city.
A new park was named after the borough in Stuttgart (Image: St Helens Council)The council has confirmed that partners in Stuttgart helped to fund the majority of the group's trip, while the rest was paid for by the council to extend the relationship with the city.
A council spokesperson said: “This year is the 75th anniversary of our historic twinning with Stuttgart, and we were fortunate to be able to visit with a delegation that included young people from Cowley International Language College, St Helens Town Football Club and the UC Crew.
“Stuttgart kindly paid for transport, accommodation and activities for the majority of the group, with St Helens Borough Council funding the remaining travel expenses at a total cost of £1544.49."
The council issued a statement following claims on social media about the costs of the trip.
The spokesperson added: "We're aware of comments speculating on the cost of the visit but are not sure where this information has come from.
"We can confirm that the costs borne by St Helens Borough Council totalled £1544.49, with our hosts kindly funding the remainder."
Cllr Baines and Mayor Nopper with the 'Memorandum of Understanding' (Image: St Helens Council)
Cllr David Baines, Leader of St Helens Council added: “We’re very proud of our twinning relationship with Stuttgart, the essence of which remains people meeting people for better mutual understanding and to forge links across borders, and there’s no better example than the relationship between St Helens and Stuttgart.
"The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding sets out the benefits we can each gain, from economic growth and business opportunities to investment in innovation and new technology, to tackling the climate crisis.
“But it isn’t just in terms of business or industry, it’s also about fostering long-term friendships between people from different countries, opening opportunities to share ideas and good practice, and of course to celebrate what makes each of us unique.
“We are achieving real progress together, and I look forward to continuing our friendship for the next 75 years.”
References
- ^ READ > St Helens Council approve Investment Fund for Parkside Freeport (www.sthelensstar.co.uk)