Earlier Release of The CCG Picturebook 2012-2020 - Episode 8 - '2019'

Earlier Release of The CCG Picturebook 2012-2020 - Episode 8 - '2019'

Jul, 29 2020


Welcome to the mid-week earlier release of the penultimate ‘CCG Picture-book 2012-2020’. For episode eight I’ll be highlighting the year 2019.

Last year the city of Preston celebrated it’s 30 year anniversary of being twinned with the oldest city in Poland. UCLAN helped to mark the event by welcoming a delegation of visitors from Kalisz.

Social exchanges were formed and many learnt that Kalisz lies 146 miles west of Poland’s capital city Warsaw,was twinned with Preston in 1989 and has since been involved in a number of projects to develop a partnership between the two cities.

The following three examples reveal the positive link between the two countries:-

  • Helping to set up a business incubation centre in Kalisz that is now thriving.
  • Cultural exchange programmes for young people from both cities, which involved students from Cardinal Newman College
  • Working with the Preston Academy of English on language programmes.

Preston Twinning Partnerships organized the 2019 celebratory visit to Preston, which included a tour of the University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN) arranged by our very own Creative Community Group.

Mayor and President of Kalisz Krystian Kinastowski shared these special words of unity with the city and it’s future prospects,

“Both cities are of a similar size and have a rich history so when Preston reached out to Kalisz 30 years ago to offer friendship through the town twinning programme, we were delighted to accept. We’ve developed a close relationship over the last three decades that has brought the two cities together to share business and culture and we are already looking ahead to the next 30 years.”

The Polish visitors were able to enjoy the other sights around UCLAN which included the Propeller Hub :-  allowing the delegates to learn more about student and staff entrepreneurship and business support. This was then followed  by a demonstration of work taking place in the UCLAN robotics and computer laboratory by Professor of Computer Vision Bogdan Matuszewski.

The Polish delegation also took part in the following four events,

  • Armed Forces Days celebrations in Preston
  • Attended a Reaffirmation Ceremony at Preston Town Hall
  • The Preston Mayor's Incoming Service at St George’s Church.
  • Visited Sir Tom Finney High School to establish an exchange visit with a school in Kalisz.

The President of Kalisz, Krystian Kinastowski, and the Chancellor of the Stanisław Wojciechowski State University of Applied Sciences, Kazimierz Matusiak, have since expressed an interest in joining the UCLAN Creative Communities Group.

It’s events like these shown in 2019 that really highlight what a great city Preston is and what a colourfull history it has  and continues to bring to the present day. With the above paragraph bearing into consideration many more people are joining the CCG from abroad. Why not discover how you could play a part to this fantastic organization and become a member. You can write to us and leave your details expressing your interest to join us at the following address:-Creative Communities Group Greenbank 342 University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN) PR1 2HE.

2019:-The year Preston celebrated it’s 30th anniversary of twin town relationship with Poland’s oldest city Kalisz

^Alex Ashworth CCG UK Blogger