- An invitation was received from the President of Kalisz inviting representatives of the Preston Twinning Partnerships (PTP)to attend -
- (a) The City Holiday Celebrations from 13- 15 June 2008; and
- (b) An International Business Forum on the 14 June 2009.
- A similar invitation was issued to the Mayor of Preston who was unable to attend.
- Representatives of the PTPs were Brian Manning (Vice Chairman)‚ Jürgen Voges (Secretary) and Mike Dignan (Committee Member) all of whom paid their own travelling and incidental expenses.
- Wednesday 11th June 2008
- Departed Liverpool Airport 06.35 hrs. Arrived Poznan 09.50 hrs. Train to Kalisz arrived at 15.35 hrs to be met by Agata Kuehn-Kedzierska‚ our Interpreter then direct to Orbis Prosna Hotel. Dinner with Agata at 19.30 hrs.
- Thursday 12th June 2008
- 4.1) 10.00 hrs: Visit to Kalisz War Veterans Office. Jürgen Voges had been requested by the Director of the Army Benevolent Fund in Preston to make contact with Kalisz Veterans. We received a warm welcome and an interesting discussion took place. Jürgen will provide contact information to ABF after Agata has translated the ABF Mission Statement and explained it to the Polish Veterans. It is then up to them to take this further. Jürgen to await further news from Agata.
- 4.2) 11.00 hrs: Visit to Business Inkubator Centre to meet Omar Saoudi the Organiser of the International Business Forum and long standing contact of Brian Manning in Kalisz. Details of the Forum were considered. Presentations were to be made by representatives of cities / towns twinned with Kalisz and by their respective Chambers of Commerce.
Omar had previously been informed that it was not possible for representatives of the Preston City Council or the Chamber of Commerce to attend the Forum and that a Powerpoint presentation had been jointly prepared for presentation to the Forum by Brian Manning on their behalf. - 4.3) During a subsequent discussions on related twinning issues‚ the Business Inkubator Centre offered a work experience placement at the Centre for a Business administration student from Preston for a period of one month in 2009. Accommodation would be provided at a self-contained flat at the Centre. This kind offer has been referred to Louise Wilkinson at Preston College who will contact Piotr Sadowski at the Centre to discuss the necessary arrangements.
- 4.4) 13.30 hrs: Visit to Art Exhibition by Kaminiec Podolski
- 4.5) 15.00 hrs: Lunch
- 4.6) 17.00hrs: Visit to Care Home at Psary 15 kilometres from Kalisz with Agata.
This visit was arranged to enable Mike Dignan‚ Brian and Jürgen to see the hospital (now a Care home for 166 people) which Mike had helped to build 32 years ago over a period of two years. Mike was then working in a voluntary capacity for Voluntary Service Overseas. The hospital was funded principally by the Sue Ryder Foundation and was originally provide for survivors from concentration camps after the second world war. This visit proved to be a most emotional and memorable experience for Mike (and those with him) not least because we met two ladies (Warden and Deputy Warden) whom Mike had worked with there 32 years ago!! - 4.7) 20.00 hrs: Civic welcome and Celebration Dinner at the Orbis Prosna Hotel attended by the Prezydent Dr Janusz Pecherz‚ City Councillors‚ officials and representatives of cities / towns twinned with Kalisz.
The President welcomed all representatives personally and particularly a significant number of representatives from Hautmont in France (including their Mayor). Kalisz was using the occasion of the City Holiday Celebrations to celebrate 50 years of twinning with Hautmont.
- Friday 13th June 2008
- Group one.
- 5.1) Group One: of representatives (including Brian Manning and Jürgen Voges) were taken to the Business Inkubator Centre (BIC) to take part in the International Business Forum. The BIC provides jointly serviced accommodation for small starter businesses. It was designed by Mike Brogan the then Deputy Borough Architect at Preston as a twinning initiative by the then Borough Council in the early years of twinning with Kalisz post 1989.The BIC is now turning its attention to a new objective to encourage the creation of innovative small businesses developing new technology.
- 5.2) 9.45 hrs: Forum opened by the Prezydent of Kalisz followed by an explanation of the programme and organisation of the event by the Moderator Piotr Sadowski.The title of the event was " Town Partnership and Economic Growth"
Participants had been requested to ensure that each paper should provide answers to the following questions and matters :
(a) The outline of the local policy on supporting economic growth.
(b) Can the relations between twinned towns contribute to the support of local companies by means of their internationalisation? If yes can you put forward suggestions as to possible activities in that matter?
(c) What could be the role of the local authorities in this field of activity? What could be the role of the local business organisations (the chambers of commerce and industry) etc in this field?
(d)Are there any examples of this kind of activity in any of the partner towns? If yes is it possible to exchange good practices (benchmarking) - 5.3) Presentations were then made to the Forum by representatives of :
Kalisz‚ Erfurt (Germany) Hamm (Germany) Heerhugowaard (Holland) La Louvered (Belgium) Preston and Hautmont.
The Powerpoint presentation from Preston was presented to the Forum by Brian Manning on behalf of the City Council and the Chamber of Commerce.
(see 5.2 above)
Andrzej Spychalski‚ he Director of the Wielkopolska Regional Chamber of commerce addressed the Forum to give information about the activities of his organisation. (The Director subsequently gave us a letter in Polish addressed to the Mayor of Preston. Jürgen Voges arranged for this to be translated in Preston and handed to the Mayor) - 5.4) The most compelling contribution came from Robert Jan Piet‚ Vice Mayor‚ Economic& European Affairs‚ Youth & Education‚ Culture‚ Recreation and Sustainability‚ Real Estate‚ Heerhugowaard ( Holland ).He described the way in which his council had become European leaders in creating ‘ Sun City ‘ a mixed residential / industrial area whose total energy needs have been met by using solar power !!!. They are currently providing advice to 50 Dutch cities which wish to pursue similar developments. (The Vice Mayor has bought a house in the residential development concerned and his energy bill is nil!) Information about this development will be passed to Jim Carr‚ Chief Executive‚ and Preston City Council. Representatives from Kalisz will shortly be meeting with Heerhugowaard Council representatives and investors in their energy business to exchange ideas and to assist further developments.
- 5.5) A discussion ensued about various issues which had been mentioned during the presentations. Piotr Sadowski‚ the Moderator‚ summarised the discussion. He gave an example of how Kalisz organised Business to Business meetings which proved to be of great benefit to the entrepreneurs taking part. He suggested that Kalisz was prepared to create an information portal on the internet for all their twin towns to exchange relevant information about business opportunities‚ innovations and contacts etc.
The Forum concluded and a buffet lunch was served - Group two.
- 5.6) Those representatives of twin towns not involved in the Business Forum were invited to other events linked to the celebration of the 50th anniversary of twinning between Kalisz and Hautmont. Mike Dignan represented the PTP.
11.00 hrs: start of Kalisz to Hautmont cycle ride via Erfurt‚ Hamm‚ and La Louverie to arrive at Hautmont approximately 28 June.
11.40 hrs: To junior School Complex to see a production ‘ Inspiration and Interpretations ‘ as part of ‘ Days of French Culture in Kalisz and ‘History and Culture of Brittany ‘performed by the House of Brittany from Poznan.
This was followed by a concert of French music performed by the band of the Piano Builders from Kalisz Technical College.
15.30 hrs: Lunch - Both groups
- 5.7) 16.30 hrs: Both groups then came together for a visit to Big Star Ltd a large employer which manufactures and retails Clothing. There was a presentation of the Company profile‚ a fashion show and an opportunity to shop in their Factory Outlet.
22.00 hrs: Dinner at the Teatralna restaurant. The representatives of the PTP were able to give the President a gift from the Mayor of Preston along with an appropriate letter of good will. This was followed by an outdoor pop concert entitled ‘Under the Sky in Kalisz‘ performed by Andrzej Piaseczny a polish pop star which was attended by thousands of people with barely a hint of trouble.
- Saturday 14th June 2008
- 6.1) The 09.30 hrs meeting which had been arranged to enable representatives of twin towns to meet the newly established Kalisz Twinning committee had‚ unfortunately‚ to be cancelled because of the illness of Councillor Iwona Urbanowska‚ the President of the Committee. Subsequently we were able to meet Iwona Duda the Head of the Presidents International and External Relations Department and also a member of the Kalisz Twinning Committee. Iwona has subsequently provided us with contact information for all members of the new Committee which is receiving practical support from the President and the City Council. Iwona was informed that discussions would be held with the Preston city Council to produce proposals for the celebration of the 20th anniversary of twinning between Preston and Kalisz in 2009.It appears likely that if Kalisz are to arrange similar celebrations these would be held in June 2009 at the same time as the annual City Holiday Celebrations.
- 6.2) In 2010 Kalisz will celebrate an event which is truly unmatched in Poland and in this part of Europe - an incredible 1850th anniversary of the first reference to the settlement which later became a medieval burg and a direct predecessor of the city which exists today.
- 6.3) 11.00 hrs: Ceremonial session of the Kalisz City Council. The Chairman and Prezydent welcomed all representatives of its twin towns. The Prezydent presented the Kalisz Medal to several people for outstanding service to the community. the meeting conclude at 13.15 hrs‚ followed by a buffet lunch.
- 6.4) 15.00 hrs - 16.30 hrs Free time
- 6.5) 16.30 hrs: Bus to Zawodzie Heritage Park - 17.15 Hrs: Official Opening of this new park by the Prezydent of the Regional Council and the Prezydent of Kalisz.
This Heritage Park is part of the Regional Museum of the Kalisz Region. In addition to visiting the reconstruction of the settlement visitors can also see a multimedia presentation about its history as well as an ethnographic exhibition with interesting original items presented in a historical residential building from the 18th century. visitors can have guided tours from guides many of whom are archaeologists. Using financial support from the European union work on the reconstruction of the settlement in Zawodzie began in 2007. As a result the park has become a truly national tourism attraction. There is no other place in Poland like it (although there are a few heritage sites). - 6.6) 17.45 hrs: Outdoor High Mass celebrated by the Bishop of the Diocese of Poznan accompanied by a choir.
- 6.7) 19.30 hrs: Outdoor feast provided for all guests and all others who attended.
- 6.8) 20.30 hrs: Return to Hotel.
- Sunday 15th June 2008
- 09.00 hrs: Transport to Poznan kindly provided by Kalisz City Council. We had to stay in Poznan overnight as a flight to Liverpool was not available until the day after.
10.15 hrs: Departed Poznan to Liverpool.
11.30 hrs: Arrived Liverpool.
- 09.00 hrs: Transport to Poznan kindly provided by Kalisz City Council. We had to stay in Poznan overnight as a flight to Liverpool was not available until the day after.
- Summary and Conclusions
- (a) the visit to Kalisz was extremely enjoyable and inevitably occasionally tiring! it enabled the renewal of contacts in Kalisz and with representatives of other cities/towns twinned with Kalisz the hospitality of the Kalisz City council was exceptional. The cost of virtually all accommodation and meals were met by the Council with the assistance of a modest grant from the European Union.
- (b) It was useful to be present at the International Business Forum and to be able to contribute a presentation on behalf of the Preston City Council and the Chamber of Commerce.
- (c) The visit was also very special for Mike Dignan (see 4.6 above) as he was able to re-visit Psary for the first time in 32 years.
- (d) The President repeated his hope that it would be possible for the Mayor of Preston and civic representatives to visit Kalisz on the occasion of the City Holiday Celebrations in June 2009. Any commemoration of the 20th anniversary of twinning with Preston is likely to take place there at that time.
- (e) The PTP now needs to give early consideration as to how the 20th anniversary should be celebrated in Preston. It is hoped that the City Council will have a clear view of how they would wish to become involved in any commemoration /celebrations as they have done previously on significant anniversaries of twinning with Nimes‚ Recklinghausen and Almelo... Discussions should be held with the City council about this as it is essential to see a properly co-ordinated and effective programme.
- (f) It will now be possible for the PTP to communicate directly with the Kalisz Twinning committee to exchange ideas about the practical and effective way of increasing twinning links between our two communities.
BAM/24.06.08