Twinning with St Ingbert Rotary Club in Saarland

Stroud Rotary is twinned with St Ingbert Rotary Club  

Report by St Ingbert on their visit to us

October 7, 2023

Visit on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of our partner club RC Stroud from September 28th. until 10/1/23

Our Rotary Club of St. Ingbert is proud to have a long-standing and meaningful partnership with the Rotary Club of Stroud (near Bristol, England). This close friendship has existed almost since our club was founded in 1979 and has experienced many highlights over the years. In 2021, due to the pandemic, we were unfortunately unable to take part in the Rotary Club of Stroud's 100th anniversary celebrations. But recently (September 28th - October 1st, 2023) we had the pleasant opportunity to catch up on this celebration a little. For the first time, our entire small delegation set off in a climate-friendly manner by train via London and, after a more than two-hour stopover in Paris, reached the train station in Stroud at 4:00 p.m. local time, where the Strouder friends were already waiting for us.

During our visit we had the opportunity to speak to Tim Mugford from Stroud, the last living “godfather” of this long-standing club friendship. His stories and insights into the history of our partnership were extremely interesting and touching.

The hospitality shown to us by our friends was simply overwhelming. We were warmly welcomed and felt like part of an extended family. The visit program was carefully planned and gave us the opportunity to explore the beauty of the Cotswolds, visit various social projects in Stroud and, above all, deepen personal encounters with the Strouder friends.

Our club is grateful for the deep friendship we have with the Rotary Club of Stroud and we look forward to the opportunity to warmly welcome our Strouder friends to St Ingbert in two years' time. This partnership is not only a symbol of Rotary's international ties and values, but also a source of constant inspiration and enrichment for us all.

We are confident that this partnership will continue to thrive in the coming years and provide us with many more unforgettable experiences and projects. Together we continue to work towards a better world and promoting friendship and understanding.