Carnegie UK Trust: Twin Towns UK

Overview

Twin Towns UK takes a fresh approach to the well-established ‘twinning’ concept, by pairing towns across the UK with similar characteristics or socio-economic challenges, to consider how to make positive change happen in their communities. They are looking for up to 10 towns across the UK that want to participate in a trial of bi-lateral ‘twinning’ arrangements which will focus on addressing the current challenges these towns are facing. The Carnegie UK Trust will select applicant towns and ‘match’ them together with a ‘twin’ that demonstrates similar town ‘characteristics’ or challenges.

Who can apply?

• Properly constituted organisations that can demonstrate that they represent their towns e.g. community councils, BIDs, community development trusts and traders’ associations.
• Although they expect that local authorities will be engaged in twinned towns’ development process, they are looking for community or business based organisations to act as lead partner.

Is this project for your town?

• Does your town have a population of 80,000 people or less?
• Can you name the distinct challenges facing your town?
• Does your community have a determination to make positive change for the future but need support and a framework to get started?
• Would you value the time and resources to share experiences, assess how to address these challenges and start making change happen in partnerships with another town?
• How will the Trust support successful twinned towns partnerships?

What support is available?

They will provide an assigned research and learning account of £7,500 to support:

• a 2017 short programme of exchange visits
• evidence and research gathering
• economic development and town planning advice and
• your own public consultation exercise

At the end of this period you will have produced a twinning development plan published in tandem with your twinned community which capitalises on the connections you share. Your twinning partnership will decide for itself how it wants to allocate these resources and build your plans.

Following the completion of your twinning development plan you will also have:

• Access to further catapult matched funding of up to £15,000, following completion of your development plan, to help you realise a shared practical outcome. You might use this to seed fund new enterprises, issue a community share for a joint venture, research a complex social or environmental initiative – whatever suits the outcomes you have identified.
• Access to the many Carnegie UK partners across the UK and Ireland.