THREE members of the Okehampton and District Twinning Association enjoyed the culture of Finland while representing Okehampton at an international conference.

Stella Hudson, Dawn Roe and Kyle May joined delegates from six other towns in Savukoski, in Lapland, for the second of three 'Facing the Crises' conferences.

Invited as members of the twinning association, the trio spent four nights in Finland enjoying a busy programme of events and experiencing Finnish life by staying with a family.

The first conference took part in Hungary over Easter, coinciding with the formal signing of the twinning agreement between Iszkaszentgyörgy and the French town of Craon, which is twinned with Okehampton.

The topic of the Finnish conference was 'Tourism'. They have been led by mayor of Iszkaszentgyörgy Gall Attila. Dawn explained Gall's vision for the conferences: 'It is his vision, that by working together, sharing experiences and expertise, problems can be addressed, with bespoke approaches for the local community.

'Building bridges and removing barriers of all kinds, including language, is all part of making things work. To this end, this meeting included presentations, press conferences and visits which gave plenty of opportunity for exchanges of experiences, ideas and concerns.

'These exchanges allow delegates to return to their towns, each with their own difficulties, with new enthusiasm and a wealth of information to feed back to their local authorities.'

Complementing the conference, delegates enjoyed a programme that included a visit to the ski resort of the Pyhätunturi region, an outdoor swing concert at Aittakuru and visiting the local school and nursing home.

Visitors also enjoyed the spectacular Northern Lights, and watched the seasonal changes. Dawn said: 'Being in Lapland, the cycle of the seasons and the reindeer year are fundamental to the lifestyle of those living in Savukoski.

There is also great acknowledgement of the environment and nature itself. The air is not only clean and clear, but rarely rises above absolute calmness.'

Stella, Dawn and Kyle will share their experience of Lapland with a Finland evening and presentation at Belstone Village Hall on Friday November 4.

For more information call Dawn on 01837 849159.