A FRESH plea has been made to revive Irvine's connection with its French twin town Voisins-le-Bretonneux.
The call came after members of Irvine Running Club recently returned from the Spring Running Festival in the French town, where they received a warm welcome from members of the local Twinning Association.
Now in its third year of participation, the event continues to strengthen the bond between the two towns.
The runners enjoyed a hosted dinner, sightseeing in both Voisins and Paris, and most importantly, the chance to renew friendships and create new ones.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of Irvine’s twinning with Voisins-le-Bretonneux, but sadly, the Irvine Twinning Association is no longer active.
Running Club member Susan Rhodes, who helped organise the trip, has reached out to local councillors in the hope that some support might be offered to help revive the Association.
She expressed how valuable the connections are, especially for young people and community groups.
Susan said: “Forging these links, both for youth and adults alike, is such a great opportunity.
"It’s a real shame that even though the town signs still say we’re twinned with Voisins-le-Bretonneux, there seems to be little interest from the council.”
Anyone interested in helping revive the Twinning Association or simply getting involved is encouraged to contact Susan at susanrhodes59@outlook.com.
Voisins-le-Bretonneux is a commune in the south west suburbs of Paris, just 24 miles from the city centre.
It has more than 150 active local organisations, from walking and crafts to swimming, cycling, running, and golf, and they’re eager to build links with groups of all ages from Irvine.
The girls from the Running Club who attended this year’s festival say they could not emphasise enough how meaningful the friendships formed through this international connection had become.
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