Chairmans report 2009
Annual General Meeting Chairman’s report :
Tuesday, October 27 2009
I am happy to report continuing success for Clevedon Twinning Association. Membership is around the 90 plus mark and we have successfully raised awareness of our organisation in the town and established continuing and meaningful relationships with both Epernay in France and Middelkerke in Belgium. A review of the year includes our very successful Fish and Chip supper quiz which was well attended and very well organised, as ever, by Janet. Our thanks go to everyone involved. In May we took a large party to Epernay for the European weekend where we ran an association stall at the local market selling cider from Thatcher’s and Somerset honey. It was a great success. Clevedon British Legion was also represented at the weekend with standard bearer Geoff Warren doing the honours by joining the veteran’s march to various war memorials during the VE Day celebrations. It was a very proud moment for us all. Four of our members, Janet, Karen, Martin and Jo also took part in a French/English public reading of Dorothy Lessing’s ‘The Sparrows’.Our connection with Ettlingen has much improved during this year and we are very grateful to Barbara and Brian for their expertise in strengthening this connection. In August Brian, Joe and Maggie Norman represented Clevedon at the annual Marktfest by running a stall selling cider and honey. Our German friends were delighted that we had finally made it to their town and there will be a first visit to Clevedon by the Ettlingen mayor Frau Gabriella Busemaker and two others in November. Plans were well in hand for The Oakies, a singing group from the Copse road pub to visit Middelkerke very shortly for a musical weekend but unfortunately this event has just been cancelled by the Belgians due to a number of other bands and groups dropping out. I am also pleased to confirm that three schools St Nicholas Chantry and All Saints in Clevedon and Wraxall Primary have been twinned with corresponding primary schools in Epernay and district. We are hopeful that this will be the beginning of meaningful future exchanges between the youngsters from those particular establishments. The profile of Clevedon Twinning Association has also been raised by running successful stalls at the Lions fair in July and the Marlens Festival in September.
We were saddened to hear about the death of Giselle Feron in Epernay in July. She was a jumelage stalwart in Epernay for more than 20-years, much of that time as President of the organisation and did much to foster good relationships between our two towns.
Of course none of our successes could have been achieved without a team of people ie the committee, who are willing to give up their valuable time, often with little reward, and who have the interests of the organisation, and the community, at heart and who are prepared to put in the work to ensure success. I would like to thank all members of the committee, Vice chair Joy Wilyman, Treasurer Ted Deakin, secretary Alexander Dainty, and committee members Peter Roberts, Jo Norman (and Maggie Norman for maintaining our website) Jayne Jenkins, Brian Chislett, Barbara Hancock, Jenny Janes and Janet Wildgoose for all their efforts and continued support. I would also like to thank all members of the Association who support us in our social and fundraising events and Clevedon Town Council who support us with a small grant (if needed) each year. As you know this is my final year as chairman but I am quite confident that the future of the association will be in good hands under Janet’s stewardship. We will, of course, be giving her every support because, as I have already intimated, the success of Clevedon Twinning Association is dependent upon a positive team effort. I took up the position of chairman in November 2003. I am very pleased at the progress we have made during the last six years. Our membership has improved enormously, we have cemented an excellent relationship with our friends in Epernay, Ettlingen and Middelkerke and a number of organisations, whether it is volley ball teams, schools or British Legion, have all been connected. But there is always more to be done, improvements to be made and further links to be established. I look forward to the future of Clevedon Twinning Association with optimism.
That concludes my report.
Mike Bisacre Chairman October 27, 2009
