FORMATION OF HARROGATE INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS
It is only within the last few years that there has been a major resurgence of interest in our long-standing twinning links.
A town ‘twinning committee’ of interested volunteers was re-established in 2013 and has steadily built momentum, with increasing numbers of visits between Harrogate and its twin towns.
In 2017 Harrogate International Partnerships (“HIP”) was formed, to provide a more formal structure for developing awareness and opportunities for exchange visits with our international partners, and to provide support to twinning groups by way of advice, support and grant funding.
HIP is a registered charity and a company limited by guarantee. As a not-for-profit organisation, it is run by a board of Trustees who are also the company’s Directors, and the organisation has no employees. The Trustees have professional, educational, civic and/or business backgrounds and voluntary management experience. They give their time freely, and all share a passion for the promotion and development of international partnerships for Harrogate. No grants or donations, salaries or benefits are paid to Trustees, and any travel or other personal costs they incur for their own benefit are entirely self-funded by that Trustee (including the costs of any foreign travel to the twin towns).
Awards of grants of donations must support the Charity’s objectives.
BENEFITS OF TWINNING
Twinning provides the opportunity to integrate more closely with the local community and to develop lasting contacts and friendships. There are civic and historic links to be celebrated, but also opportunities for sharing ideas and insights for the future, developing new links, understanding business synergies, and enhancing the international and cultural standing of Harrogate and each of its twin towns.
HIP therefore aims to be completely open and transparent about its activities, and also is aiming to preserve memories of twinning in the past.
WHO WE ARE – THE TRUSTEES
Dennis Richards OBE – Chair
Dennis was headteacher of St. Aidan’s High School in Harrogate for 23 years. Fluent in French, and with a background in teaching modern languages, he writes on educational issues for a number of publications. He focuses on helping students to gain skills and experience, as well as on finding ways to promote Harrogate and its international reputation and relationships.
Mary Andronowski FCA (Fennimore) – Treasurer
Mary is a Chartered Accountant. She has recently retired, having spent many years working at a charity based in Harrogate. She previously worked for commercial enterprises and professional organisations, and brings to HIP her finance background and a love of travel.
Michael Newby
Michael, when Mayor of Harrogate, signed the twinning agreement with Barrie, and he is HIP’s lead trustee on relations with our Canadian partners. A former board member of Harrogate Theatre, he maintains an active interest in the performing arts and is also a trustee of a local youth club and village hall.
Nicholas Brown
Nick is a former businessman and was a Harrogate Borough Councillor for many years and is a former Mayor. He is now a North Yorkshire Councillor. He has wide interests including art, music and sport as well as civic matters, and is involved with a number of local charities covering different fields.
Nigel Clay
Nigel’s interests in sport and travel led to him discovering Harrogate’s twinning past, which in turn led to his involvement in the formation of HIP. With a business background, Nigel also was instrumental in setting up the pétanque (boules) club in Harrogate, and now leads on significant ad hoc twinning projects for HIP.
VOLUNTEER HELPERS
HIP benefits from the efforts of a number of volunteer helpers, including the following:
Kate Spencer
Kate is both a New Zealand and British citizen who lives in Harrogate and regularly visits family in New Zealand. She is HIP’s lead contact for the Wellington twinning relationship, and organised the recent ANZAC commemorations in Harrogate.
Rosie Clarke
Rosie is fluent in Italian and French, having a teaching background. She is the lead contact for HIP’s twinning link for Montecatini Terme.
Jan Gleaves
Jan is a freelance artist and illustrator who works to support HIP’s activities and projects, particularly with design input, including decorating the Harrogate floats at Luchon’s Fetes des Fleurs, and having input to twinning floral displays in Harrogate.
Paul Fennimore
Paul is a retired consultant with a finance background, and he now runs the HIP website and also helps out with projects, twinning visits and events.
Harrogate International Partnerships
Company Registration Number: 11081421
Charity registration Number: 1178731
Harrogate International Partnerships 