About Us
Falmouth Twinning Association is run by local people, for local people, who enjoy the conviviality of others and relish meeting and entertaining French and/or German visitors. The Mayor of Falmouth is our President. We receive a grant from Falmouth Town Council towards the cost of hospitality, although we do also run fundraising gatherings – ranging from plant sales to foreign film shows – giving members opportunities to get to know one another.
We also act as a conduit for exchange activities between the locations. These have included co-operation between the maritime and art museums and also choral, sporting and educational links.
Background
The Worldwide Twinning Movement aims to foster peace and understanding between peoples of different nations through forging friendships at grassroots level. With this objective in mind, the twinning link between Falmouth and Landkreis-Rotenburg, Germany, was formalised in 1968, although youth exchanges had already been in place for some 17 years. Originally twinning was a formal activity between the respective councils. However in 1984 when Falmouth adopted a French twin − Douarnenez, Brittany − Falmouth Twinning Association was established to take responsibility for arranging informal visits to and from both twin towns, as well as encouraging ties between schools, youth groups and other organisations.
Twin Visits
Visits to and from our ‘twins’ alternate. For example one year, usually in May, we visit Germany and our French friends visit us in September. The following May our German friends enjoy our action packed programme and in September we savour the delights and sights of Brittany and bounteous French hospitality.
Douarnenez, Brittany
Douarnenez is a commune in the Finistere department of Brittany in north-western France. A centre for boat building and repair work, the town has fish canning facilities (sardines and mackerel) although sardine fishing for which the town became famous, has dwindled in recent years. Increasingly Douarnenez, affectionately known as ‘Dz’, has become a tourist attraction, not only because of its scenic location and warm climate, but also because of its marinas, maritime museum, regattas and beaches.
Landkreis-Rotenburg
Landkreis-Rotenburg is a prosperous district in north- eastern Lower Saxony between Bremen, Bremerhaven, Hanover and Hamburg. Extremely beautiful, 80 percent of its area is devoted to agriculture and forestry. Growing in popularity as a holiday destination, it offers good opportunities for hiking, biking, swimming, canoeing and horse riding.