Welcome to Comberton Twinning Association

Our village of Comberton (near Cambridge, UK) is twinned with the village of Le Vaudreuil, near Rouen in France.

The twinning charter invokes bonds of friendship between the people around Comberton and around Le Vaudreuil through reciprocal visits, and says that the aim of the twinning is to develop co-operation and understanding between our two nations by fostering friendship between their people. It's also great fun, and educational!

We are actively seeking new members to join the twinning, particularly families with children. You don't have to live within Comberton - we have members from the surrounding villages. See membership details and contacts below.

Photos of Le Vaudreuil

Coronavirus and Covid-19

Most twinning events for 2020 and 2021 were postponed or went virtual. However we are on for 2022, with two visits planned to catch up!

Highlights

Annual visits to and from our twin village in France – Le Vaudreuil, near Rouen.
The French families are coming to Comberton 27-29 May 2022. Could you host a family?
No great effort needed – they just want to experience English family life.
Speaking French is NOT a requirement, but it is a great opportunity to learn.
Our return visit is planned for September 2022, to experience the French way of life.
Families with children are particularly welcome.
Annual subscription only £10, under 18s free.
Fun social events. Make new friends!
Join the Entente Cordiale to overcome the Brexit blues!

Visits by the French

Spring 2022 - The French families are coming to Comberton 27-29 May 2022. Could you host a family? They arrive Friday evening, after a day in London, and leave Sunday afternoon after lunch. No great effort needed to entertain them – they just want to experience English family life. We’ll all meet for a garden BBQ at Manor Farm on the Saturday.
Previous visit was Spring 2019 - Despite Brexit, 37 French came to Comberton for 5-7 April 2019. As this was the 20th anniversary of the start of the twinning, there was a programme of activities including a tour of Cambridge with Blue Badge guides (in French and English), a commemoration lunch at Girton College on the Sunday, and a pot-luck supper with entertainment at the Village Hall on the Saturday.

Trips to France

Autumn 2022 Trip to France - We currently plan that our return trip by coach will be in September 2022. More details soon.
Previous visit was Autumn 2019 - 20-22 September 2019. We left by coach at 4pm, crossing by Eurotunnel shuttle, arriving by 11pm British time. The French provided a boat trip on the Seine in Rouen, a musical supper, and a lunch at the Golf. As well we had time doing our own thing with the French host families. We left at 3:30pm and returned by ferry. A good time was had by all.

Social Events

10 July 2021 - BBQ evening, again at Manor Farm. Thanks to Godfrey and Pauline for a pleasurable evening.
Wednesday 22nd September 2021 - AGM (hybrid meeting - in Village Hall and others virtual by Zoom).
November 2022 (postponed due to Covid) - Quiz evening at Village Hall - Teams to Peter Mitton please on 262073 (nearer the time).

Membership

Membership costs only £10, with under-16s joining free. Costs for exchange visits are low, as the hosts provide accommodation and most meals. In return there is an expectation that English families will host a French family for a future exchange visit. Please contact the chairman or secretary for more details, or to join.

Contacts

Chairman:	Paul Hardy - tel 263232, email chairman@combertontwinning.org.uk
Secretary:	Glynis Ellis - tel 262214, email secretary@combertontwinning.org.uk
Treasurer:	Amanda Bacon
Webmaster:	Paul Hardy - email to paul@paulhardy.net.

FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

See our page of Frequently Asked Questions, with answers.

More Photos of Le Vaudreuil and Exchanges

Click on any picture for bigger versions, and more photos.

Poster, Handout, and Presentation

A poster is available as a PDF file for printing, or as a JPG image, or a a Word .docx. It is also available two on a page for an A5 handout as a PDF, or a Word .docx.

A brief Powerpoint with 7 slides is available, also as a Powerpoint Show (PPS).

Governance

Health and Safety - The Association has a policy covering our general responsibilities for Health and Safety. (Health and Safety Policy). Note that we have no employees, so are not covered by UK Health and Safety at work legislation.
Equality and Diversity - The Twinning Association has a policy covering our responsibilities for Equality and Diversity (Equality and Diversity Policy).
Safeguarding - The Twinning Association has a policy covering safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults during twinning activities. (Safeguarding Policy).
Data Protection - The Twinning Association holds minimal personal data about its members, updated annually as part of membership. We have a Data Protection Policy which explains our holdings, procedures, and compliance with the EU GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) which came into force in May 2018, and as migrated following Brexit to become the UK GDPR in 2021.

History

See the History page for information on the club origins and on past events.

Miscellaneous News

Dill seeds - In April 2017 we received a batch of packets of dill herb seeds (Aneth du Vaudreuil) These were provided to asssociation members, with spares to pass on to neigbours or friends as publicity and as a symbol of the continued relationship between the two villages. There is available for download and printing a short A5 handout (in English).

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