MALVERN has extended its international relations by twinning with a French spa town.
Malvern Town Council supported a proposal to enter into a twinning agreement with Bagnères-de-Bigorre at a meeting on Tuesday (October 6), and will now begin to pull together a group of volunteers to create a Twinning Association.
The French town is located in the Hautes-Pyrénées and is part of the country’s national spa town network, attracting more than 8,500 visitors each year, and is currently linked with three other spa towns in Europe – Tutzing in Germany, Granarolo Dell’Emilia in Italy and Alhama de Granada in Spain.
The council was approached back in July by Bagnères-de-Bigorre’s Deputy Mayor Stéphane Barthe – who lived and worked in Worcestershire for a number of years – as he felt Malvern’s spa heritage would make the town an excellent match for his French counterparts.
Councillors agreed working to develop and showcase the heritage of Malvern and learning from other spa towns across Europe. They also said it could have a beneficial impact on tourism in the town, highlighted through its twinning with Marianske Lazne in the Czech Republic.
Work will now begin to bring together citizens from the spa towns to gain a greater understanding of each other’s history, and the Twinning Association will enable young people to take part in social exchanges to enhance their understanding of cultural diversity.
Following the council’s decision, Mr Barthe said: “This is fantastic news and I look forward to a long and fruitful relationship between our towns.”
Deputy Mayor, Coun Cynthia Palmer said: “I’m extremely pleased the council has supported this scheme and I look forward to working with the people of Bagnères-de-Bigorre.”
Anyone interested in being apart of the Twinning Association should call Ead Brown on 01684 566667 or Coun Palmer on 01684 891143 at Malvern Town Council.
