Frequently Asked Questions

What can twinning do for me?

Twinning is an opportunity to make friends with people from other countries.  This will open a door to finding out about their culture, their language and issues that concern them in everyday life.  Peebles is twinned with Hendaye in the Pays Basque of France, just over the border from Spain, where the culture is predominantly Basque, and where French, Spanish and Basque are all spoken, sometimes in the same conversation!  

What can twinning do for my group?

Twinning provides a route for adding an international dimension to your group's activities.   The closeness of the twinning committees gives a route for making contact with groups with similar or complementary interests that may be interested in helping your group achieve its aims.  In Peebles several groups, particularly youth groups, have been able to make regular visits to Hendaye to participate in international events or to discuss issues of common interest.

What can twinning do for Peebles?

Beyond helping local people and local groups, twinning raises the profile of Peebles beyond the Borders and Scotland.  Twinning activities have brought many visitors to Peebles that would not otherwise have known of the town, helping to support one of the major sectors of our local economy.  Twinning has brought European funds directly to the town through grants to help our activities, has allowed local businesses to make contacts abroad and has provided an international dimension to our Festivals.

Isn't twinning just for local councils and councillors?

No!  Twinning in Peebles is about local people and local groups!  We have received occasional funds from Scottish Borders Council to help us achieve some of our projects and have support from Councillors for our activities.  However, all our projects are aimed at involving the Gutterbluids and Stooriefit of Peebles alike.

Where do the funds for twinning activities come from?

This will vary from project to project.  We, as a Twinning Association, have been successful in raising funds from Awards For All (a National Lottery fund for local groups), the European Commission, Scottish Borders Council and local businesses.  Other groups who have participated in twinning activities have been successful in attracting funds from other organisations.  However the majority of funds are raised by the participants themselves.  In many cases, twinning activities rely on the generosity of host families who welcome visitors into their homes during the visit as part of the cultural exchange. 

In what way does the European Union support twinning?

The European Union supports twinning as a means of increasing understanding among the citizens of member countries.  It encourages both conference-type meetings between the citizens of twinned towns to discuss issues of common concern, and cultural exchanges.  Nevertheless the cultural exchanges need to have a "European" theme.  Where financial support is given, contributions are made towards both the costs of the town hosting the exchange and the travel costs of the participants from the visiting town. 

Can anyone apply for a European Union grant for a twinning activity?

No.  Twinning funds can only be applied for by the twinning committee for the town hosting an exchange on behalf of all the towns involved.

How many towns can a single town twin with?

Peebles is only twinned with a single town, whilst Hendaye is also twinned with a town in Portugal as well as Peebles.  Many towns sustain twinning activities with several towns in several countries.

Where is Hendaye?

Hendaye lies where the Pyrennees meet the Atlantic coast, on the north bank of the River Bidasoa.  It lies just on the French side of the border with Spain in the Pays Basque.  Its culture is pre-dominantly Basque.