Social regeneration and European affairs

Syndicat Mixte Cote d’Opale

This is a publicly funded organisation, responsible for co-ordinating the coastal regeneration of the zone from Dunkerque to Boulogne in the Nord-Pas de Calais region. It was the lead partner on the Maritime Heritage Trail project, financed by the Interreg IIIA programme. It was also the lead partner on the Youth Guide project, which was also financed by the Interreg IIIA programme.

Federation Regionale pour la Culture et le Patrimoine Maritime

This is a regional organisation in Nord-Pas de Calais, responsible for the maintenance and promotion of cultural heritage. It is another key partner in the Maritime Heritage Trail cross-border project.

Communaute Urbaine Nantes

This local authority in Nantes, Western France, is a partner with Medway Council on the Interreg III-funded REVIT project. This project focuses on exchanging good practice in the regeneration of brownfield sites.

Conseil General Charente Maritime

This equivalent to a county council from the west coast of France is a partner with Medway Council in the EU-funded ASCEND project, where Medway is the lead partner. The ASCEND project is a partnership network that will exchange good practice in the socio-economic re-use of former military sites and buildings.

Boulogne Development

This organisation is jointly financed by the local authority and chamber of commerce in Boulogne and is working with the Medway Council Economic Development Team on the development of a cross-border project concerned with incubation centres and services in support of small businesses.

Communaute Urbaine Dunkerque

Dunkerque has a population of over 300,000 and is a similar size to the Medway area, with many common socio-economic characteristics. This organisation is the local authority for the whole of the Dunkerque conurbation and is a partner with Medway and North Kent in a bid for Interreg IIIA funds. This project will exchange good practice in the process of neighbourhood improvement.

Ville de Valenciennes

Valenciennes and Medway are twin towns and the two towns have recently co-operated through an Interreg IIIA cross-border project called The Arts Movement.

Chambre de Commerce de Valenciennes

The Valenciennes Chamber of Commerce was a partner with Medway Council in the OASES project, providing specialist training techniques for older workers, particularly in the engineering industry.

Ecole des Beaux Arts de Valenciennes

This is the Fine Arts School in Valenciennes, which was also a partner with Medway Council's Arts Team on The Arts Movement project, financed by the EU Interreg IIIA initiative.

Maison de l’Initiative / Ville de Grande Synthe

Grande-Synthe is a town within the Dunkerque conurbation. The Maison de l’Initiative is a voluntary organisation, partly financed by the town of Grande-Synthe, which is responsible for helping young people and the long-term unemployed into employment. This organisation was a partner with Medway Council on the CULMINER project, which looked at enabling access to local social care services and employment guidance services for ethnic minority communities.

An earlier project was Eurofoot, which looked at fighting racial discrimination and xenophobia through establishing multi-cultural football teams and staging football coaching alongside courses of informal education for groups of young people.

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