France/ In difficulty, the Pont-d'Ouilly twinning committee is looking for funding

After years of hard work, the Pont-d'Ouilly (Calvados) twinning committee has succeeded in rejuvenating its exchanges. One difficulty is putting the brakes on this momentum: subsidies are falling.

On Saturday January 10, 2026, Alain Hurel chaired the general meeting of the Pont-d'Ouilly (Calvados ) twinning committee, which has 34 members. The year 2025 has been a busy one, with exchanges with the twinned countries, "school exchanges, art exhibitions and cultural encounters. A wide range of activities, including innovative educational programs, strengthened partnerships with schools in England and the fire department in Germany, as well as with local associations",says the president. These actions would not be possible without the financial support of sponsors and institutional partners.

Looking for funding

In 2025, the twinning committee benefited from subsidies. 1,500 from the town hall, including an exceptional grant of €500; €1,500 from the Département, and €1,000 of the €2,500 requested from the FDVA (Fonds de développement de la vie associative).

Expenses, linked to exchanges, generated a negative balance of €1,288. The deficit is explained by: "The FDVA grant being lower than requested, and the low participation of members in the trip to Germany (39 people for a bus of 55)".

To remedy the decrease in the Development Fund subsidy, "we're thinking of applying to the European Fund (not valid for England) to host our German counterparts. This is a Franco-German citizen's fund that encourages citizens' initiatives and twinning between towns",adds the president. The twinning committee is also planning to approach neighboring towns for subsidies. The 2026 membership fee has been increased from €10 to €15.

Outlook for 2026

The year 2026 will be punctuated by a number of events: English conversation classes, led by Mark Gregory at the Bar de l'Isle every Tuesday, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.; onMarch, the annual meal of the twinning committee; the general meeting of the Calvados twinning committees on March 28; onMont-Ormel and Argentan (Orne); the reception of the Germans from Hafhenlor, from May 29 to June 3; the trip to Chipping Campden, from August 14 to 18 (passport and ETA - electronic travel authorization - required); autumn tour on September 24.

Source: www.ouest-france.fr/