LIMBURG LADIES EXPLORE SOCIAL FACILITIES AND WOMEN'S AMENITIES IN LICHFIELD ON EXCHANGE VISIT, MAY 2011

Published: 26 May 2011

Five ladies from Lichfield's German twin town of Limburg an der Lahn have just spent four days in Lichfield as guests of the North Lichfield Initiative. A group of ladies from the NLI visited Limburg in March last year at the time of International Women's Day, and this was the exchange visit. The German ladies enjoyed their stay at The George Hotel in Lichfield, where they were warmly welcomed to the city by the new Mayor, Councillor Brian Bacon and his wife, the Mayoress, Cllr Mrs Norma Bacon. The reception took place in the Hotel's beautiful Garrick Suite.

The five guests are all involved with working with and for women in Limburg, and included representatives from the women's refuge and a women's centre. They were very keen to see what services and facilities Lichfield had to offer by way of comparison. They were not disappointed, as their trip included visiting Lichfield's women's refuge, Burntwood Youth Centre, Beacon Park Retirement Village, a "Knit and Natter" group in Fazeley, a Lichfield Brownies' evening, and "Jigsaw", NLI's community venue in the refurbished shop on Dimbles Lane. The guests were pleased to meet many of the volunteers and voluntary and community organisations along the way.

Speaking for the group, the Chairman of the women's centre 'Muze', Christiane Liebendorfer, thanked her NLI hosts for a wonderful visit. "We have seen so much in Lichfield, and we now return to Limburg full of new ideas and inspiration for our own work with women. We look forward to welcoming our friends in Limburg again soon."

In 2012, the Ring Twinning between Lichfield, Limburg and Sainte Foy-les-Lyon (France) will be 20 years old, and from Friday 28 until Monday 1 October 2012, Limburg will be hosting a twinning weekend to which 100 guests from Lichfield and 100 guests from Sainte Foy are invited. Maybe the NLI ladies will have the opportunity to visit their German friends at this time of this great celebration.

For further details about twinning, please contact Julie Dewhurst at Lichfield City Council on 01543 309851 or email: julie.dewhurst@lichfield.gov.uk