As a Polish born Councillor, I have always wanted to show my beautiful nation to some of my Council colleagues. Although Poland has become a popular tourist or a city-break destination, I think that still many of us have incorrect perceptions of the country of my birth. Since 1989 and the collapse of the Berlin Wall, and in particular since the beginning of the centre, Poland has changed beyond recognition. Membership of the EU since 2004, high levels of growth, investment and productivity, and a strong economy helped Poland to establish itself as a key decision maker in Europe, and a country that many look up to.
At the end of February, I was absolutely delighted that, thanks to an invitation from Mr Łukasz Kuźmicz, the Mayor of Syców, the Mayor of Welwyn Hatfield, Councillor Frank Marsh, and I had an amazing opportunity to visit the South-West part of Poland.
It is fair to say that we were truly overwhelmed with our trip so far; incredible hospitality, well run and organised Council, fantastic staff at local primary and secondary schools, and students with fluent English. The list goes on! I was so impressed with the Polish “can-do” attitude, willingness to cooperate and just constant drive to make things happen.
While in Poland, we talked quite a lot about the consequences of Brexit, perception of Poles abroad and how the Eastern European migration is changing the demography of Britain. The most recent data from CENSUS 2021 and information from the Polish Embassy is vaguely suggesting that as many as 300,000 Polish nationals have left the UK. That’s a significant drop from almost a million before the EU referendum.
It was astonishing how, ever small towns and cities, are accessing e.g. European funding to organise school exchanges. As I am writing this article on Sunday, four teachers from Syców were traveling to Cyprus and Spain for an educational visit. I am annoyed and angry that the British government has not been able to reach an agreement with the EU and some of the key programmes such as Erasmus+ are no longer available to our students. The promise to replace it with another scheme, as expected, hasn’t materialised. Prior to the UK’s departure from the EU, approximately 49,000 students benefited from Erasmus+ exchanges each year, with 17,000 British students going abroad and 32,000 coming to the UK (European Commission data)
There are approximately two thousand twinning arrangements in Britain. What is even more interesting is that 75% of those are connected with cities in Germany and France. Historically, the town twinning started after the II World War and its main purpose was to foster better understanding between people and enhance greater collaboration. While visiting Poland, I found it really interesting that there is still a huge amount of “appetite” in a number of places to utilise endless town twinning opportunities, however it feels that this concept has lost its relevance in the UK and a number of local authorities are unenthusiastic about it.
Personally, I am delighted that for the second time, first after 10 years, I was able to show my country to the Mayor of Welwyn Hatfield. I hope that despite the difficult financial climate, we will find a way to cooperate, create a fruitful partnership, which will deliver a wide range of initiatives for communities across both countries. In my view, with or without finances, if there is a will, there is a way! Let’s start planning the next stages of our Polish-British “Local government adventure”.
* Michal Siewniak is a Lib Dem activist and councillor for Handside ward, Welwyn Hatfield.
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2 Comments
I agree absolutely with Michael Siewniak, twinning and friendship groups bring another level to understanding and empathy between communities. I am part of a group in Bradford on Avon with a friendship link with Tubas, a city in the West Bank of Palestine. Having been to Tubas in 2022, and then had a group, including the Mayor of Tubas, come to visit us in February 2023, our feelings about their lives becomes visceral. Everything seems more relevant when you know people, have stayed in their houses, and reciprocated the hospitality. We have great backing from our Council who organised tours of the town and a reception when our visitors came. There is an olive tree planted in the centre of the town, jointly planted by the Bradford on Avon and Tubas mayors. As Michael says, twinning started after WW2, and fostered better understanding. This is now very important in understanding the lives of Palestinians and letting them know that their communities, and especially children, have support from UK. There are nearly 40 communities in the UK linked with groups in Palestine, both the West Bank and Gaza (even though visits with Gaza communities are not possible). While visits are rare, we can have regular meetings via Zoom. We are able to provide support to the most vulnerable, for example children and women’s groups, letting them know they are not alone, and we benefit from looking beyond our own community.
As for me, I have learned what it means for two cities to harmonize like twins in the cradle of history. The sky of Tubas—suspended in the north of the West Bank like a necklace of thorns and jasmine—flirts with a distant star in the skies of “Bradford-on-Avon.” This is no political grant or statistic in reports, but a human pulse flowing like light through the veins of the earth. Here, where war shakes down the stones of the present like autumn leaves, this twinning remains a candle unquenched by winds of despair, reminding us that somewhere in the world, hands hold ours when we slip from night’s edge. In Tubas, we do not see our siblings in Bradford as fleeting allies, but as second wombs from which we are reborn each time absence weighs heavy. For family is not measured by the distance of miles, but by the closeness of hearts that offer hope whenever it needs light.