Guests from Palestine and France – hosted by the Pendle for Palestine Twinning Group – went along to the ACE Centre in Nelson and met the Mayor of Pendle, Coun. Asjad Mahmood.
The guests were from Nablus in Palestine – which is about 20 kilometres from Beit Leed, which is going to be a twin town with Pendle – and they are working as volunteers in London schools.
Mr Richard MacSween from Pendle’s Palestine group said: “We met with representatives of Pendle Council on Monday and it was confirmed that the council is supporting the twinning arrangement with Beit Leed and is happy for the Pendle for Palestine Twinning Group to do the administrative work involved.
“The Mayor of Pendle is being invited to be president of the group. All costs will be met by the group, raised by voluntary contributions, and not by Pendle Council. The Twinning Group will keep the council informed of the progress of the twinning arrangements.”
He added: “I think it’s disgraceful that the one BNP member of the council has put it about that the council vote for twinning was tied. In fact, it was passed by 20 to 16 and didn’t need the casting vote of the mayor as he suggested.”
When they met the Mayor at the ACE Centre, he was presented with a letter from the Mayor of Beit Leed, Abdullah Atallah. The message from the mayor there to ours here said: “We are so grateful and honoured to have this twinning between your town and our village. Myself and the municipality members would like to extend and develop this twinning relationship between our municipality and yours for a closer relation, communication and co-operation.
“Hoping that we will find more ways in which we will keep in touch.”
And he expressed “sincere thanks and appreciation”.