Published: Thursday, 22nd July, 2010 9:22am

Generous public boosts teens' twinning trip

by Kirsty Gibbins

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EIGHT North Berwick youngsters will explore East Lothian's twin county of Spree-Neisse in Germany when they travel to the district at the end of this month.

The action-packed adventure, taking place July 31-August 5, has been organised by North Berwick Youth Cafe, in partnerhip with the town's high school and North Berwick & District Twinning Association.

The young participants, aged between 15 and 17 years old, were well-supported by the local community after approximately £1,550 was raised towards the trip through generous public contributions at three fundraisers, including a quiz, race night and a mile of pound coins in High Street last Saturday.

During their stay, the East Lothian travellers will meet with German youth clubs to establish better links with youngsters there, enjoy outdoor activities including canoeing and learn about the country's history with a day trip to Berlin - packing in a visit to the Jewish Memorial, the museum on the site of the former Gestapo headquarters, and the Olympic Stadium.

Alex Galloway, twinning association chairman and part-time German teacher, will accompany the youngsters on the trip, with youth workers Scott and Lauren.

He said: "We expect our young group to gain a lot from this trip and really hope it will lead to close and fruitful links with young people in Germany.

"It's going to be a very educational experience for the young people involved and we hope it will help to broaden their horizons.

"Each participant in our group is giving a brief presentation to our hosts on life in North Berwick, ranging from our school system, to local landmarks, history and industry because we think it's very important that we promote East Lothian to our German hosts so that they will wish to visit the county and see its beauty for themselves."