Bridgnorth Twinning Association must apply for funding for June visit
A twinning association is going to have to apply for funding from the town council in the normal way after a request to cover the costs of a visit later this year was deferred.
Members of the Bridgnorth Twinning Association had written to the town council asking it to provide a budget of up to £3,500 for the visit of representatives of twin town Thiers and Schrobenhausen from June 2-6.
It would cover the main dinner on Saturday, June 4, and also associated costs including the transport of guests and entertainment.
Bridgnorth hosts the visitors from France and Germany once every three years, and this year it is timed to coincide with the Bridgnorth Carnival.
Traditionally, the town council has provided £750 to trips from Bridgnorth to the twin towns and £3,000 towards costs associated with the visitors to Bridgnorth from Thiers and Schrobehasen.
But at a town council budget meeting earlier this year it was agreed that the twinning association – where members pay £1 a year subscription –would have to join the groups classed as community associations and apply for the funding in the normal way.
Pleas for funding from outside bodies to the town council are done via a grant application which is placed on the town council agenda and considered by members.
A number of councillors at a town council meeting on Tuesday questioned the need to provide money for the dinner, saying representatives of the twin towns were able to pay for the dinner themselves and that, while recognising the value of the visit, it would be an unnecessary use of taxpayers money that could be used elsewhere.
It was agreed to write back to the twinning association and ask it to fill out a grant application form in the normal way that groups apply for funding and councillors would deal with it at the next meeting.
