MELKSHAM Town Council has joined forces with four other West Wiltshire towns to show their support for the Polish ‘twin town’, Elblag, which is working to give aid to Ukraine.
Representatives from the five West Wiltshire towns that are members of the West Wiltshire/Elblag Twinning Association – which includes Melksham – pledged their support for the twinning partnership and for the work that the Polish city of Elblag is doing to support Ukrainian refugees and its Ukrainian twin city of Ternopol.
The representatives, including Melksham’s deputy mayor, cllr Colin Goodhind, all signed a pledge of support to be sent to Elblag, that said, “On the occasion of the Annual General Meeting of the West Wiltshire/Elblag Twinning Association on 23rd March 2022, we send greetings to the president, city council and citizens of Elblag, Poland.
“The mayors, town councils and citizens of Bradford on Avon, Melksham, Trowbridge, Warminster and Westbury, the five towns of West Wiltshire, affirm our support for the partnership with the city of Elblag set up in 2000.
“We also send our thoughts and prayers at this time of great danger for the people of the Ukraine and think especially of Elblag’s twin town of Ternopol.”
The twinning association has also said that it also plans to start fundraising for projects in Elblag that will support Ukrainian refugees.
A spokesperson for the twinning association adds, “The city of Elblag like others in Poland is now working to give aid to Ukraine with which it has many personal and historic attachments. Twinning chair, Bob Brice, reported at the AGM that we have received a message from Elblag that there are officially 500 refugees in Elblag. The city has also sent humanitarian aid to their Ukrainian twin city of Ternopol in central Ukraine.
“He also reported that the Elblag City Council decided to break off ‘twin town’ cooperation with Kaliningrad, in Russia and Nowogród Wielki in Belarus. Previously we have met and socialised with people from the twin towns from Russia and Belarus when visiting Elblag.
“After discussion it was decided to begin fundraising for the Ukraine but to wait and see if there is a particular project in Elblag which we could support. We may also be able to use our links to identify some Ukrainian families who wish to come to the UK.
“Signing the document of support to be sent to Elblag. This reflects our support for the Twinning but also for Elblag’s work with Ukrainian refugees and their Ukrainian Twin Town of Ternopol.”
Picture: Representatives of the five West Wiltshire towns, sign West Wiltshire/Elblag Twinning Association’s pledge to support ‘twin town’ Elblag in Poland and their efforts to help Ukraine. (L-R) Deputy mayor of Melksham, cllr Colin Goodhind, mayor of Bradford on Avon and president of the twinning Association 2021/22, cllr Sarah Gibson, mayor of Trowbridge, cllr Denise Bates, chair of the twinning association, Bob Brice, and representing Westbury Town Council, cllr Jane Russ.
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