Meeting - Wednesday, 9th July 2025, 7.00pm
Monks Walk pub
Minutes
1. Present: Martin Cox [Chair], Toni Mundel, Christine Mundel, Tricia Sharp, John Sharp, Michele Robillard
Apologies: Nicola Dixon, Sheila Mullen, Kate Jacques, Roger Woods, Jim Whitfield
2. Minutes of meetings in May and June: Received and agreed with one change to the June minutes: the meeting with the Town Council will also be attended by Tom Astell [ERYC] and the Clerk
3. Matters Arising if not covered by the agenda below: A draft leaflet produced by Martin and Mark was passed round. It can be shown to the Council-Association meeting next week.
4. Membership Report: 18 out of 23 have renewed so far.
5. Treasurer’s Report: Jim was in France so no formal report. Subs are waiting to be paid in on his return [18 x £15 = £270]
6. Prep for the BTC liaison meeting on 15th July. What support are we looking for from the Council? No further ideas were added to the list in the June minutes. Essentially an information gathering session.
Ideas from the last meeting: help in making links between the Association and local associations/businesses that could be of assistance.- help with publicity and other ways of raising the profile of the Association.- help in developing the website.- the provision of meeting spaces.- help in distributing leaflets.- Councillors’ attendance at Association meetings
7. Hosting the group from Fucecchio in December – Beverley based activities to be prioritised. Rough out a programme. Who can host? Working Group to coordinate this visit. Setting a realistic budget. An Italian event as a part of the programme to which Beverley residents can be invited and promoted by BTC.
Should be easy to organise a Beverley based weekend because we would include visits to Saturday market, the Christmas Tree Festival and the Festival of Christmas.
It was decided in principle to use 50% of what we have in the account at that point.
Other suggestions were: An Italian event based around what Italians eat at Christmas and how they celebrate the season. We can invite residents and ask for funding from the Council. Civic reception [need to ascertain whether the group of 15 will be arriving on the Thursday or Friday]. Beverley Male Voice Choir will probably have an event on the Saturday evening. Consider asking a school to perform something for us/do a presentation about Christmas in the UK and so they can learn about Italian Christmas traditions [would also bring their parents in]. Bring and Share meal on Sunday evening. Time with host families to allow flexibility. Guildhall if here on the Friday daytime. Plant a tree. Is there an Italian consul agent in Yorkshire to invite? Make a video during the weekend of events to share more widely.
Members offering to host visitors are Brigitte, Toni and Christine, Michele, Tricia and John, Kate and Roger, Martin and Jim. Need to ask councillors if they are also willing to host.
8. How to work more cooperatively with the Anglo-French Society e.g. joint planning of events.
Michele committed to share our events and give updates to the A-F meetings. Other members to assist her. Will be easier once we have events to advertise. Members of the Anglo-French should be invited to host visitors and to come to events during the weekends when visitors from Nogent and Fucecchio are with us. We have a share interest in learning about and sharing European culture whether in English or French.
9. Working more closely with Nogent to follow through from the weekend in June – share ideas. Waiting to hear from Marie-Jo and Valerie. Explore links with businesses in the town [ask BTC for help] and explore links with firefighters in the way Lemgo/Stendal has.
The Plaque and booklet brought back from Nogent were passed round and admired.
Valerie was once again complimented on her speech during the Gersthofen celebration weekend. Some great material there for Tom to share with the Council.
10. Reports from other twinning organisations and Anglo-French Society – new programme issued so we are able to ensure no clashes. No info seems to be coming out from Hanse recently. Visitors from Lemgo and Stendal will be in Beverley at the end of September.
Toni reported that BLTA had received a grant for £1500 from Reckitts to enable students to visit Lemgo. So far, 2 students have taken up this opportunity and have been awarded £200 to spend two weeks at a school there and develop their language skills..
He also stated that he would ask ERYC’s Tourism Department if they would allow tourist leaflets from Lemgo, Stendal, Nogent and Fucecchio to be exhibited at our Tourist Information Centre.
11. BTC – update on the Town Guide translations [ready to collect from printers this week] and Art Competition [a small number of entries being judged by Emma Garness, local artist who did the decoration of local bridges and the railway bridge to Flemingate]. Vouchers to be purchased from The Works by Martin.
It was asked if Tom could send an official thank you to Nogent and ask to explore other ideas for contacts such as associations or businesses on behalf of the Council. Martin to ask him. He is also meeting Lorenzo Favilli when he visits later this month to explore the same with Fucecchio.
12. Open events including fundraising:
Film Night [Chocolat?] in the Autumn – Tricia and John to explore borrowing equipment from the Anglo-French and to look a suitable date to hold it at the Grosvenor Club.
Cheese tasting evening in the Spring – Michele to lead
Pig Racing [Toni provided details of this betting style evening] or Wine Tasting in the Summer
Supper Club at Elwells each term.
13. AOB – Lorenzo Favilli, Councillor from Fucecchio, here 22-27 July. Councillors have stepped in to offer him a meal out and a tour of BTC, County Hall and Guildhall. Tom Astell has offered to deliver him back to the airport. Michele, Toni and Chris offered to join Martin for the Quiz on 22nd at Monks Walk. Toni and Chris offered to take him out during the Saturday. Members could join him for coffee/brunch on the morning he departs [Sunday 27th], also to meet him for a cuppa late afternoon on the day he arrives [Tuesday 22nd]
14. Date of next meeting – Wed 10th September at 7pm [Monks Walk booked]