Sleaford has twin towns in France and Germany and the Sleaford & District Twinning Association runs the twinning for the benefit of the local communities. This means that it organises visits to each twin town and is responsible for hosting a mixed group from the two towns every year, at least in normal times, cajoles the people of Sleaford and the villages to join in as travellers and hosts and raises money to entertain visitors and subsidise travel. As a body we are also committed to promoting links between other community groups and their counterparts in France and Germany, and to encouraging language learners, young and old.
Twinning visits are a great opportunity to experience life in France or Germany “from the inside”, staying in a family home and being treated as an honoured guest. For some it’s a chance to practise a language but the only requirement is that you try to communicate – and sign language, drawings and frantic use of Google Translate are part of the fun for most visitors and hosts here in Sleaford and abroad.
Newcomers often ask what happens during a twinning visit. Every town or village has a different pattern, but it inevitably starts and ends with the travel from place to place and an opportunity for the group to gel. Once the three groups are gathered in one place there is a mixture of whole group activities, both social and cultural, and opportunities to explore individually with your hosts. Meals play an important part in all this!
Get a flavour of the visits from the photos and accounts of recent “meetings” in Sleaford, Marquette-lez-Lille and Fredersdorf-Vogelsdorf.