The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
A group which has promoted links between Spalding and its German “twin” for almost 60 years may only have two years to live.
The Friends of Speyer is desperately appealing for new members to help it maintain the friendship that has grown between the two towns since 1956.
But it is feared the future of the group is in jeopardy and it may have to be disbanded unless new members are found – leaving the links to be continued by the individuals involved.
Peter Start, secretary of the group, said the problems with declining membership were highlighted during this year’s biennial visit to Speyer, which was attended by just 18 people, compared to 33 in 2012.
In 2006, more than 250 people from both sides attended a dinner to mark 50 years of the town twinning, which started in an attempt to build bridges between nations following the Second World War.
Mr Start said: “What was apparent when we visited this year was that they too are having the same demographic problems that we have with an ageing membership, some of whom no longer enjoy robust health which may mean that they either do not wish to undertake their proposed touring itinery or infirmity might render it undesirable for some to come at all.
“I wonder whether the time is approaching to suggest to Speyer that once we reach the 60th anniversary of the twinning that the two groups of ‘friends’ disband and leave it to individuals to maintain or not the mutual links that have forged over the past years.”
Mr Start has suggested that the future of the group be discussed at the 2015/16 annual general meeting, but hopes to avoid the tough decision to disband by recruiting a new generation of “Friends” to carry on the links.
He said: “The stark reality is that we are not managing to recruit new members and I think Speyer are possibly in the same position since we have seen only a few new faces on their side and it has a much larger population to draw on than we do.
“What I would like to see is people, who possibly have been involved in the twinning links in the past, possibly recently retired, to come back and renew those links and keep the relationship going.
“Originally it was a civic link between what was then Spalding Urban District Council and the council in Speyer, but in recent years the council here has withdrawn its involvement – possibly because the visits were just seen as a junket at taxpayers’ expense – and nowadays it is a social affair where we take them on outings and they take us to see places of interest when we go there.”
Anyone interested in finding out more can contact Mr Start on 01406 380599 or email peter.start@btinternet.com
