In 2016 we developed our link work with France, Italy and the Czechs, toured Americans around Britain, Slovenians around Scotland, Russians around England and helped to take in Syrian refugees. It was also this year that our Workers Beer volunteer work dried up. But crucially it was the year that the British people voted narrowly to leave the European Union with the infamour and disastrous Brexit Referendum undermining everything that we’d worked for.
5-8 April Mayor Leigh Redman and small group visit La Ciotat
16-24 April Dagmar Mega and UH Akropolis group link with Worcester Snoezelen centre
20-25 April Twinning Week -features AFTER DARK the Italian rockabilly band. French, Czechs and Germans also in attendance
June 2016 We organised 16 people to work at Glastonbury and Latitude festivals for WBC
June 16 Jo Cox, Labour MP, is murdered in the street by a Brexit supporting British Nazi.
June 23 The UK votes narrowly to leave the European Union with the disastrous Brexit Referendum. Czech assistant Jana Branecka turns up for work the following day and is told by drivers “What are you doing here, we voted to get rid of you!”. The work of 25 years appears in tatters.
25-29 June Eva Kordova and Ceske Budejovice Musicians visit Bridgwater College Academy, play concert and also at CICCIC in Taunton
5-12 July Nathalie McAndrew and La Ciotat students visit Bridgwater for ‘Easy Speaking’ project
20-28 July Jana Hubena and UH group tour south England
18-31 August Brouci tour of Scotland
20-29 Aug Dagmar Mega and UH students link with Bridgwater YMCA for summer camp
4-9 Sept Woodbury Wind ensemble from Axminster tour Prague and Ceske Budejovice
13-20 Sept Ljuba Medak and Slovenians tour Scotland
30 Sept-4 Oct Tanja Jamnik’s Slovenian choir visit Bridgwater and take part in Bridgwater Together event
7-11 Oct Bridgwater civic group visits Priverno
13-19 Oct Yvettes VOICE OF THE PEOPLE CHOIR to Croatia, including Vrsar, Pula and Venice
29 Oct -3 Nov Brian travels to Tenerife in the Canary islands to meet Liba Koluchova (Peskova)
4-7 November Czechs visit Bridgwater for Carnival including Antonin Machala
16 Nov-5 Dec US band GANGSTAGRASS tour UK and Holland