A town twinning agreement has been signed between Knaresborough and Volodymyr in Ukraine.

Councillor Hannah Gostlow, the Mayor of Knaresborough signed the agreement yesterday on a table drpaed with a Ukrainian flag.

It means Knaresborough is now twinned with Bebra in Germany and Volodymyr in the Volyn region of Ukraine.

Bob Frendt, who has regularly delivered aid and supplies to Volodymyr, approached Knaresborough Town Council about twinning the two locations.

Mr Frendt and a colleague, accompanied by Knaresborough town councillor David Goode, are driving to Ukraine this week to deliver two fire engines to Volodymyr. They will take the twinning agreement with them for the Mayor of Volodymyr to sign.

It added the agreement "does not in any way deter from or alter" Knaresborough's relationship with Bebra, which has existed for more than 50 years.

In the new agreement, Knaresborough and Volodymyr have ‘solemnly declared that they wish to be united with one another in lasting partnership and have pledged to foster close friendly contact with one another and when peace is established, to encourage the interchange of representatives of their younger community members, of schools, of culture and other associations, to exchange ideas and to take their stand for peace and the well-being of their citizens’.

Pictured at the signing are (from left): Angela Pulman, town council clerk, Bob Frendt, Cllr Hannah Gostlow, Mayor of Knaresborough, Mavis Clemmitt, chair of town twinning, Cllr David Goode and Hazel Haas, secretary of town twinning.

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