Menu
Twinning - Rhondda Cynon Taf
Sister cities or twin towns are a form of legal or social agreement between towns, cities, counties, oblasts, prefectures, provinces, regions, states, and even countries in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.[1] The modern concept of town twinning, conceived after the Second World War in 1947, was intended to foster friendship and understanding between different cultures and between former foes as an act of peace and reconciliation,[2][3] and to encourage trade and tourism.[1] By the 2000s, town twinning became increasingly used to form strategic international business links between member cities
Town Twinning is all about forming friendships, which can be achieved in many ways.
RCT Twinning Association encourages individuals and groups in Rhondda Cynon Taff to visit our twin towns
The History of Rhondda Cynon Taff Twinning AssociationThe Association was established in November 2014 following a request from Rhondda Cynon Taff Council. The Association has members from schools, music groups, choirs , youth groups and local businesses.
Town twinning in Rhondda Cynon Taff began in 1966 with a choir link between Côr Meibion Pontypridd and the Oberensingen Male Choir Nürtingen in Germany. In 1968 Pontypridd Urban District Council established a formal Twinning link with Nürtingen. In 1974 Taff Ely Borough Council was formed and continued with this official twinning link.
In 1993 Cynon Valley Borough Council formed a Twinning link with Ravensburg in Germany and also with Montelimar in France. At the same time Rhondda Borough Council formed a twinning link with Wolfenbüttel in the northern part of Germany.
In 1996 Rhondda Cynon Taff was formed through Local Government reorganisation and adopted all four twin towns.
Since 1968 there have been many school exchanges, with hundreds of students spending up to two weeks with a German host family. Music links through choirs, orchestras and Brass Bands continue to form the basis of continued friendships established through exchange visits.
Get involved with RCT Town Twinning AssociationTwinning links between Rhondda Cynon Taff and it’s twin towns in France and Germany have been established since 1968. Several hundred pupils from Comprehensive schools in RCT have taken part in various exchange visits over the years.
Music connections have formed an important part of twin town links and continue to be successful, through choirs and brass band exchanges. There are plenty of opportunities for sporting groups to take part in exchange links and association members will help and guide clubs to set up twin town links. If you work for a French or German company why not contact the Association and become involved in the improvement of our twin town links.
Membership of the Twinning AssociationMembership of the Association is open to everybody residing in Rhondda Cynon Taff. If you belong to an organisation that would like to become involved please tell us through the Contact page. As membership grows and the Association becomes established, visits by the Association will be organised to France and Germany to attend events like National Festivals.
Germany is well known for it Beer festivals and Christmas Markets and France is well known for its exquisite cuisine , wine and Gastronomy events like the Banquet Republican in Montelimar.
…it was agreed that the Association should undertake a limited amount of tasks initially i.e.
HELP & ADVICE
HostingMembers of the Association are willing to help find accommodation for guests from our twin towns, which is normally arranged on a reciprocal basis for young adults.
The Association welcomes offers of hosting for students from our twin towns who wish to study or visit RCT for a short time.
VisitingMembers of the Association are available to give help and advice to visitors on places of local interest to visit.
Help and funding
The Association is happy to advise on how links can be made with similar organisations, schools and groups in any of our twin towns. The Association is not able to give funding towards exchange visits at the present time, but will help find funding sources for exchanges sometime in the future.
Hosting someone from our Twin TownsMembers of the Association are willing to help find accommodation for guests from our twin towns which is normally arranged on a reciprocal basis for young adults. The Association welcomes offers of hosting for students from our twin towns , who wish to undertake au pair functions or wish to study or visit RCT for a short time.
Visiting one of partner townsAssociation members have many contacts within the French and German twin towns who are available to give help and advice on places of interest to visit.
In some circumstances members of the Associations in Rhondda Cynon Taff and in our twin towns, are happy to act as non paid guides for visitors.
Help with fundingThe Association is happy to advise on how links can be made with similar organisations, schools and groups in any of our twin towns. Whilst the Association is not able to give funding towards exchange visits at the present time, in future it hopes to be able to give advice on funding sources that might be available to groups wishing to take part in twin town exchanges.
Links to funding sources: ” www.towerfund.co.uk ” Contact Hayley Teague – Small grant programme up to £2,500 available for community groups for projects that are of community benefit.
Interlink: “[email protected]” Help with funding sources. European Funds , Leonardo,Comenius and Erasmus. Erasmus has Youth Partnership Funding under Key Action 2.
Music has always played an important part in Welsh life……particularly in Welsh chapels and in the former coal mines of the Rhondda Cynon Taf area. It is not surprising therefore, that some of the most successful town twinning exchanges are those where choirs and brass bands are involved.
The first town twinning link in Rhondda Cynon Taf was formed in 1966 between Côr Meibion Pontypridd and the Leiderkranz Männerchor of Nürtingen Germany, a link that still continues today.
Rhondda Cynon Taf is fortunate to have a wealth of community music groups within the region, as well as many dedicated youth music groups, including those within the county music service as well as a plethora of community based groups.
Musical LinksA number of strong and long-established links exist between musical groups based in Rhondda Cynon Taf and groups from our twin towns in Germany & France. The groups include choirs, brass bands, orchestras, wind orchestras plus youth and smaller ensembles.
Numerous exchanges have taken place in recent years, resulting in some truly memorable tours and performances, together with long lasting friendships and repeat exchanges.
Forthcoming exchanges include:
2015
November 3 to 7
Visit of the Jugendsinfonieorchester Ravensburg to Rhondda Cynon Taf
Visit of Porth County Community School Choir to Ravensburg, Germany
May 26 to 29
Visit of the Rotary Club of Ravensburg, Germany to Rhondda Cynon Taf
Please visit the websites of our twinned musical groups via the various links below. If you would like to establish a new musical link, or have your existing link added to this list, please contact Craig Roberts here
Rhondda Cynon Taf based musical groups with twinning links
– Lewis-Merthyr Band
– Llwydcoed Brass Band
– Mountain Ash & District Choral Society
– Pontypridd Male Choir
– Porth County Community School Choir
– Symphonic Brass Wales
– Treherbert & District Band
Twin Town based musical groups with twinning links
– Chorale Arpège
– Jugendsinfonieorchester Musikschule Ravensburg
– Leiderkranz Männerchor
– Stadtorchester Ravensburg
– Stadtkapelle Nurtingen
In 1996, Rhondda Cynon Taff adopted the four twin towns, established by the former local authorities.
Germany
This exchange is the longest lasting twinning link in RCT.
FestivalsGerman towns host many festivals during the year. The May Day celebrations is one example. Representatives from every local organisation and school parade through the streets.
MontelimarMontelimar is located in the area of “La Drome ” in the southern part of France. It enjoys spectacular warm weather and is famous for its production of Nougat. At one time there were over thirty Nougat factories in the town , but today there are just a handful.
French FestivalsLike many towns in France , Montelimar celebrates several festivals. During the Autumn there is a festival of food and wine, where local producers are able to display their wares to the public. A few years ago the Mayor of the town, Mr Franck Reynier re-introduced the “Banquet Republicaine ” in the town . The Banquet receives over five thousand Montelien and visitors from surrounding areas into Montelimar, where the main street is lined with tables and chairs and people are served food and wine from neighbouring restaurants.
Choral Arpege Montelimar
The members of Choral Arpege have had a very successful twinning link with Mountain Ash & District Choral Society since 2004.
The exchange started in July 2004, when a small group of 21 French choristers visited Mountain Ash . They received an outstanding
Welsh reception and firm friendships were formed immediately. Each year, the exchange has grown in number of participants, with
55 members of the Mountain Ash Choir visiting Montelimar in October 2015.
RavensburgThe twinning link with Ravensburg was established with Cynon Valley Borough Council in 1993 following a delegation from Ravensburg, who was seeking a Welsh twin town.
The German delegation was so imposed with the friendliness of the people of the Cynon Valley that they decided to look no further for a Welsh twin town !
The signing of the official Twinning Agreement was signed in both Cynon Valley and in Ravensburg. The Ravensburg event was supported by the Cynon Valley Youth Orchestra.
Several school and music links have been made with Ravensburg over the years. Each year members of the Twinning Association participate in the selling of Gluhwine ,
tea and other products from Wales on a Christmas Market stall.
The stall is manned by twinning members of all of Ravensburg twin towns on a rota basis in order to raise the profile of twinning links with the town.
The Rutenfest
In July each year a festival called ” The Rutenfest” is held in the town. Brass bands, music groups, schools,individuals and organisations march through the town.
There are several percussion music groups who have a tradition of visiting each ” hostelry” in the town, each restaurant and the Mayor’s house , to play their drums
louder and louder until ,they are paid to ” go away”.
This is one method that the groups use to raise funds ! Later there is a crossbow competition where young people compete for the Golden Arrow.
School ExchangeFerndale Community School has established a link with the Grosseschule in Wolfenbüttel over the past few years and is quite successful.
Youth Conference and Young People
Like other twin towns , Wolfenbüttel holds an annual Youth Conference of young people from its twin towns. This year several young people from Wolfenbüttel
visited Rhondda Cynon Taff with the purpose of meeting young people here to discuss ways and means of raising the profile of Town Twinning.
In 2015, a small group of young people from RCT will visit Wolfenbüttel to continue talks on how this can be achieved.
JägermeisterThis well known liquor is made in Wolfenbüttel !
Youth Conference Programme
Each year Ravensburg invites groups of young people from its twin towns to take part in a Youth Conference. The young people discuss topics affecting Youth today.
Topics for discussion are usually chosen as part of European grant aided schemes for Youth.
Coleg Y Cymmor Engineering link
Coleg Y Cymmor in Rhondda Cynon Taff, has continued the link established between the engineering departments in the former Aberdare College and the Gewerblicheschule
in Ravensburg. Each year twenty-five students from Rhondda Cynon Taff and Ravensburg work on a joint project. Engineering projects range from constructing electric cars to
analysing recycling components from Washing Machines.
Town Twinning is all about forming friendships, which can be achieved in many ways.
- Contacts through Facebook and other social media sites.
- Visiting twin towns , either as a member of a group or organisation, or as an individual.
- Conducting business between small and large enterprise
- Volunteering in communities
RCT Twinning Association encourages individuals and groups in Rhondda Cynon Taff to visit our twin towns
The History of Rhondda Cynon Taff Twinning AssociationThe Association was established in November 2014 following a request from Rhondda Cynon Taff Council. The Association has members from schools, music groups, choirs , youth groups and local businesses.
Town twinning in Rhondda Cynon Taff began in 1966 with a choir link between Côr Meibion Pontypridd and the Oberensingen Male Choir Nürtingen in Germany. In 1968 Pontypridd Urban District Council established a formal Twinning link with Nürtingen. In 1974 Taff Ely Borough Council was formed and continued with this official twinning link.
In 1993 Cynon Valley Borough Council formed a Twinning link with Ravensburg in Germany and also with Montelimar in France. At the same time Rhondda Borough Council formed a twinning link with Wolfenbüttel in the northern part of Germany.
In 1996 Rhondda Cynon Taff was formed through Local Government reorganisation and adopted all four twin towns.
Since 1968 there have been many school exchanges, with hundreds of students spending up to two weeks with a German host family. Music links through choirs, orchestras and Brass Bands continue to form the basis of continued friendships established through exchange visits.
Get involved with RCT Town Twinning AssociationTwinning links between Rhondda Cynon Taff and it’s twin towns in France and Germany have been established since 1968. Several hundred pupils from Comprehensive schools in RCT have taken part in various exchange visits over the years.
Music connections have formed an important part of twin town links and continue to be successful, through choirs and brass band exchanges. There are plenty of opportunities for sporting groups to take part in exchange links and association members will help and guide clubs to set up twin town links. If you work for a French or German company why not contact the Association and become involved in the improvement of our twin town links.
Membership of the Twinning AssociationMembership of the Association is open to everybody residing in Rhondda Cynon Taff. If you belong to an organisation that would like to become involved please tell us through the Contact page. As membership grows and the Association becomes established, visits by the Association will be organised to France and Germany to attend events like National Festivals.
Germany is well known for it Beer festivals and Christmas Markets and France is well known for its exquisite cuisine , wine and Gastronomy events like the Banquet Republican in Montelimar.
…it was agreed that the Association should undertake a limited amount of tasks initially i.e.
- Facilitating links between schools, groups, individuals and businesses.
- Giving help and assistance to groups involved in town twinning.
- Offering advice on how twinning links can be formed and supported.
- Help with identifying funding sources.
HELP & ADVICE
HostingMembers of the Association are willing to help find accommodation for guests from our twin towns, which is normally arranged on a reciprocal basis for young adults.
The Association welcomes offers of hosting for students from our twin towns who wish to study or visit RCT for a short time.
VisitingMembers of the Association are available to give help and advice to visitors on places of local interest to visit.
Help and funding
The Association is happy to advise on how links can be made with similar organisations, schools and groups in any of our twin towns. The Association is not able to give funding towards exchange visits at the present time, but will help find funding sources for exchanges sometime in the future.
Hosting someone from our Twin TownsMembers of the Association are willing to help find accommodation for guests from our twin towns which is normally arranged on a reciprocal basis for young adults. The Association welcomes offers of hosting for students from our twin towns , who wish to undertake au pair functions or wish to study or visit RCT for a short time.
Visiting one of partner townsAssociation members have many contacts within the French and German twin towns who are available to give help and advice on places of interest to visit.
In some circumstances members of the Associations in Rhondda Cynon Taff and in our twin towns, are happy to act as non paid guides for visitors.
Help with fundingThe Association is happy to advise on how links can be made with similar organisations, schools and groups in any of our twin towns. Whilst the Association is not able to give funding towards exchange visits at the present time, in future it hopes to be able to give advice on funding sources that might be available to groups wishing to take part in twin town exchanges.
Links to funding sources: ” www.towerfund.co.uk ” Contact Hayley Teague – Small grant programme up to £2,500 available for community groups for projects that are of community benefit.
Interlink: “[email protected]” Help with funding sources. European Funds , Leonardo,Comenius and Erasmus. Erasmus has Youth Partnership Funding under Key Action 2.
Music has always played an important part in Welsh life……particularly in Welsh chapels and in the former coal mines of the Rhondda Cynon Taf area. It is not surprising therefore, that some of the most successful town twinning exchanges are those where choirs and brass bands are involved.
The first town twinning link in Rhondda Cynon Taf was formed in 1966 between Côr Meibion Pontypridd and the Leiderkranz Männerchor of Nürtingen Germany, a link that still continues today.
Rhondda Cynon Taf is fortunate to have a wealth of community music groups within the region, as well as many dedicated youth music groups, including those within the county music service as well as a plethora of community based groups.
Musical LinksA number of strong and long-established links exist between musical groups based in Rhondda Cynon Taf and groups from our twin towns in Germany & France. The groups include choirs, brass bands, orchestras, wind orchestras plus youth and smaller ensembles.
Numerous exchanges have taken place in recent years, resulting in some truly memorable tours and performances, together with long lasting friendships and repeat exchanges.
Forthcoming exchanges include:
2015
November 3 to 7
Visit of the Jugendsinfonieorchester Ravensburg to Rhondda Cynon Taf
- Public Concert: Wednesday November 4, Porth Community School with Lewis-Merthyr Band and Porth County Community School Choir
- Public Concert: Friday November 6, Aberdare Community School TBC with Llwydcoed Band
Visit of Porth County Community School Choir to Ravensburg, Germany
- Public Concert: Friday December 18, Liebfrauenkirche, Ravensburg
May 26 to 29
Visit of the Rotary Club of Ravensburg, Germany to Rhondda Cynon Taf
- Public Concert: Friday May 27, Rhondda Cynon Taf TBD
Please visit the websites of our twinned musical groups via the various links below. If you would like to establish a new musical link, or have your existing link added to this list, please contact Craig Roberts here
Rhondda Cynon Taf based musical groups with twinning links
– Lewis-Merthyr Band
– Llwydcoed Brass Band
– Mountain Ash & District Choral Society
– Pontypridd Male Choir
– Porth County Community School Choir
– Symphonic Brass Wales
– Treherbert & District Band
Twin Town based musical groups with twinning links
– Chorale Arpège
– Jugendsinfonieorchester Musikschule Ravensburg
– Leiderkranz Männerchor
– Stadtorchester Ravensburg
– Stadtkapelle Nurtingen
In 1996, Rhondda Cynon Taff adopted the four twin towns, established by the former local authorities.
Germany
- 1968 Nürtingen and Pontypridd UDC
- 1993 Ravensburg and Cynon Valley BC
- 1993 Wolfenbüttel and Rhondda BC
- 1993 Montelimar and Cynon valley BC
This exchange is the longest lasting twinning link in RCT.
FestivalsGerman towns host many festivals during the year. The May Day celebrations is one example. Representatives from every local organisation and school parade through the streets.
MontelimarMontelimar is located in the area of “La Drome ” in the southern part of France. It enjoys spectacular warm weather and is famous for its production of Nougat. At one time there were over thirty Nougat factories in the town , but today there are just a handful.
French FestivalsLike many towns in France , Montelimar celebrates several festivals. During the Autumn there is a festival of food and wine, where local producers are able to display their wares to the public. A few years ago the Mayor of the town, Mr Franck Reynier re-introduced the “Banquet Republicaine ” in the town . The Banquet receives over five thousand Montelien and visitors from surrounding areas into Montelimar, where the main street is lined with tables and chairs and people are served food and wine from neighbouring restaurants.
Choral Arpege Montelimar
The members of Choral Arpege have had a very successful twinning link with Mountain Ash & District Choral Society since 2004.
The exchange started in July 2004, when a small group of 21 French choristers visited Mountain Ash . They received an outstanding
Welsh reception and firm friendships were formed immediately. Each year, the exchange has grown in number of participants, with
55 members of the Mountain Ash Choir visiting Montelimar in October 2015.
RavensburgThe twinning link with Ravensburg was established with Cynon Valley Borough Council in 1993 following a delegation from Ravensburg, who was seeking a Welsh twin town.
The German delegation was so imposed with the friendliness of the people of the Cynon Valley that they decided to look no further for a Welsh twin town !
The signing of the official Twinning Agreement was signed in both Cynon Valley and in Ravensburg. The Ravensburg event was supported by the Cynon Valley Youth Orchestra.
Several school and music links have been made with Ravensburg over the years. Each year members of the Twinning Association participate in the selling of Gluhwine ,
tea and other products from Wales on a Christmas Market stall.
The stall is manned by twinning members of all of Ravensburg twin towns on a rota basis in order to raise the profile of twinning links with the town.
The Rutenfest
In July each year a festival called ” The Rutenfest” is held in the town. Brass bands, music groups, schools,individuals and organisations march through the town.
There are several percussion music groups who have a tradition of visiting each ” hostelry” in the town, each restaurant and the Mayor’s house , to play their drums
louder and louder until ,they are paid to ” go away”.
This is one method that the groups use to raise funds ! Later there is a crossbow competition where young people compete for the Golden Arrow.
- Youth Conference Programme
- Montelimar in France,
- Nürtingen, Ravensburg and Wolfenbüttel in Germany.
Each year Ravensburg invites groups of young people from its twin towns to take part in a Youth Conference. The young people discuss topics affecting Youth today.
Topics for discussion are usually chosen as part of European grant aided schemes for Youth.
Coleg Y Cymmor Engineering link
Coleg Y Cymmor in Rhondda Cynon Taff, has continued the link established between the engineering departments in the former Aberdare College and the Gewerblicheschule
in Ravensburg. Each year twenty-five students from Rhondda Cynon Taff and Ravensburg work on a joint project. Engineering projects range from constructing electric cars to
analysing recycling components from Washing Machines.
School ExchangeFerndale Community School has established a link with the Grosseschule in Wolfenbüttel over the past few years and is quite successful.
Youth Conference and Young People
Like other twin towns , Wolfenbüttel holds an annual Youth Conference of young people from its twin towns. This year several young people from Wolfenbüttel
visited Rhondda Cynon Taff with the purpose of meeting young people here to discuss ways and means of raising the profile of Town Twinning.
In 2015, a small group of young people from RCT will visit Wolfenbüttel to continue talks on how this can be achieved.
JägermeisterThis well known liquor is made in Wolfenbüttel !
Youth Conference Programme
Each year Ravensburg invites groups of young people from its twin towns to take part in a Youth Conference. The young people discuss topics affecting Youth today.
Topics for discussion are usually chosen as part of European grant aided schemes for Youth.
Coleg Y Cymmor Engineering link
Coleg Y Cymmor in Rhondda Cynon Taff, has continued the link established between the engineering departments in the former Aberdare College and the Gewerblicheschule
in Ravensburg. Each year twenty-five students from Rhondda Cynon Taff and Ravensburg work on a joint project. Engineering projects range from constructing electric cars to
analysing recycling components from Washing Machines.