A TWINNING partnership with a Ukrainian town might be on the cards for Calstock.

It was at last week’s Calstock Parish Council meeting that the proposal was put forward by Cllr Alastair Tinto and welcomed by councillors, receiving unanimous support.

The meeting was attended by Cllr Simon Cassidy, Mayor of Liskeard, where they have twinned with the village of Kopychyntsi. Cllr Cassidy was joined by Darren and Polly Tait from the Cornwall and Devon Sending Love To Ukraine convoy group, Andrew and Louise Morton (Calstock residents who are part of the convoys), Andrew who has chaired a twinning group in Hampshire and Yuliya Teplova who has lived in Calstock with her family for the last 18 months after moving from Ukraine – all spoke movingly in support of the proposal.

Cllr Cassidy said: “For a long time we have supported a lot of families. We have events for them to come together with councillors.

“Since Brexit a lot of twinnings have fallen apart.

“The Ukrainians acknowledge that they’d like their children to experience other cultures. It’s about us saying that we do care.”

Liskeard has become the fourth town in the UK to twin with a town/city in Ukraine, the meeting was told.

Cllr Tinto who was inspired by the twinning and had made connection with Yuilya in Calstock, hopes a formal twinning would benefit parishioners and those living in Ukraine. He also views the twinning as an opportunity to link the parish and Ukrainian schools, sharing languages, sports teams, culture and music such as choirs, to enrich children.

Cllr Tinto said: “Liskeard is one of the few places in the UK formally to twin with a town in Ukraine. Why not Calstock Parish?

“I think we already have strong links in the parish with Ukraine. Ukrainian families have settled here. Darren Tait, who runs convoys of supplies for Ukraine to Poland and who was our 2022 Citizen of the Year, lives in St Ann’s Chapel. Many people in the parish collect goods for the convoys. This is a good time to deepen links with a formal twinning.

“This is a mutually beneficial enrichment of both communities. Let's forge these links and find ways of deepening ties.”

Cllr Tinto added that the first step will be to identify a suitable community to twin with. The decision is being assisted by Yuilya and her father who lives in Ukraine.

Yuliya is in support of the idea and delivered an emotional speech to councillors at the meeting.

She said: “Cornwall is very much like Ukraine.

“I’ve realised how important it is to feel emotional support from a safe place. To have someone you can rely on.”

Once a community is identified, the next step might be for a Zoom meeting to be held between the two councils to initiate the link.