Polegate Twinning Association

Polegate Twinning Association was formed in 1981 following the East Sussex County Council’s decision to have links with the district of Kreis Pinneberg (near Hamburg) in Germany. The County Council encouraged towns and parishes within East Sussex to twin with towns and villages in the Kreis Pinneberg area. Polegate was the first to do so, twinning with Appen.  Only 4 towns and villages did so, the other 3 being Seaford, Uckfield and Hurst Green.

The aims of The Association are to promote international friendship and understanding by strengthening by all possible means, the links formed by Polegate and such towns and areas as The Association may accept; stimulating and fostering the mutual exchanges at all levels between the peoples of the twinned municipalities and by organising activities to promote the aims of The Association.

Polegate did this again, when in 1991 they twinned with Saintry-sur-Seine, a small town in the Isle-de-France region of France close by Corbeil-Essonnes, South of Paris, on the Seine.

In alternate years members of the Association make a visit to Appen or Saintry and receive guests from Saintry or Appen; so we meet our friends on an annual basis, either at home or away. Between 2019 & 2022 due to the Covid-19 pandemic visits in-person were paused.  These recommenced with an enjoyable visit to Saintry in May 2023.

The association puts on a variety of events to create funds to entertain our visitors whilst they are here and members pay for their own travel when going to Appen or Saintry.

The events are generally open to the public and include Dance(s), Quiz Night(s) Coffee Mornings etc.  In addition, there are some events such as the Annual Dinner only open to members.

The Association is run by an Executive Committee, elected at the Annual General Meeting in November each year. The Committee can have up to 5 Officers: Chairman, Vice Chair, Secretary, Treasurer and Membership Officer; and up to 10 other members including ideally representatives of the Town Council and Community Centre.

The Association welcomes new members and would encourage younger persons to take an interest.

For further information please contact:

Treasurer –  Rod Tice    T: 01323849392  M: 07906869170

E.mail: rod.tice@live.co.uk

Chairman and Secretary – Yusaf Samiullah T: 01323641281, M: 07810388200

Email: yusafsamiullah55@hotmail.com

Committee Members –Andrew Battams, John Clarke, Diana Samiullah