Clackmannanshire Twinning Agreement
For more information on our exhanges with Espartinas and Vendargues, you can visit our pages entitled
On behalf of the people of Clackmannanshire, the Council entered into a twinning agreement with the towns of Espartinas in Spain and Vendargues in France in November 2006. An event was held at that time in Alloa Town Hall, and delegations from Espartinas and Vendargues, including the Mayors from both towns attended.
This is the first time that the Council had established any formal twinning links, although it has been supportive of the twinning link that exists between Dollar and La Ville aux Dames in France.
The key aims of our twinning arrangement are to:
- promote language learning
- promote the involvement of our young people in Europe
- promote cultural, sport, educational and economic exchanges
All of the twinning agreements are displayed in the Council headquarters at Greenfield, Alloa.
Espartinas and Vendargues have been twinned with each other since 2001. During this time, both towns have developed successful cultural exchanges of young people and facilitated visits between other members of their local communities.
Espartinas
The town of Espartinas is 15 km from the city of Seville in Southern Spain and 30 km from the nearest airport. It is 1 hour from Cadiz, 2 hours from Costa del Sol (Malaga), 3 hours from Gibraltar and 1 hour from the Algarve in Portugal. Espartinas is located in the Andalucia region of Spain where the traditions of bull fighting and flamenco dancing are still very much alive today.
Espartinas has an official registered population of nearly 8,000 people plus another 5,000 to 7,000 unregistered inhabitants who work in Seville. The town is undergoing a significant programme of urbanisation which includes house building and improving public buildings.
Olive oil production is one of the main industries in the area. However, there are over 150 companies operating in and around Espartinas. These are mainly small to medium sized enterprises operating in a range of sectors including construction, wholesaling, business and other services.
English is the main foreign language taught at school and the town has recently opened its first bilingual school.
The nearest airport to Espartinas is Seville.
Vendargues
The town of Vendargues is 7 km from the city of Montpellier in the Languedoc-Rousillon region of southern France. It has a population of around 6,000 people. Vendargues is situated close to the Camargue region of France which is famous for its white horses, black bulls, marshlands, salt plains, and beautiful sandy beaches. Many of the Camargue traditions are still upheld by the people of Vendargues today, particularly 'la course camarguaise' which is a popular sport. This is a form of bull fighting in which young men try to remove a ribbon from the horns of a bull using a clasp or hook.
Vendargues has one of the biggest wine cooperatives in the region. The town has one main industrial area which contains 163 companies operating across a range of sectors including construction, wholesaling, transport and business services.
English is the first foreign language taught at school. Secondary languages include Spanish, Italian and German.
The nearest airport to Vendargues is Montpellier.
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For further information about this page please contact:
Policy Officer, Strategic Policy
Greenfield House, Tullibody Road, Alloa, FK10 2AD
Tel: 01259 452196 / 450000 Fax: 01259 452500
Email: strategicpolicy@clacks.gov.uk
Or use the on-line contact form
