About

What is Chesterfield County Twinning Association (CCTA)? It is a community organization that opens official relationships with towns and cities around the world. CCTA has opened their first twinning relationship with Gravesham Borough in England.

Mission
The Chesterfield County Twinning Association shall promote international friendship and understanding by strengthening the links formed by Chesterfield County with the town of Gravesend (located in Gravesham Borough) by stimulating and fostering mutual exchanges at all levels between the peoples and organizations of the twinned county and town and of such other towns as the Association may accept. Chesterfield and Gravesham Borough both have links to Pocahontas, the daughter of Indian Chief Powhatan and the wife of John Rolfe. In 1617, Pocahontas, a native of what would one day be Chesterfield County, visited England with her husband, John Rolfe. She became ill and died just before her departure back to the New World, and is buried in Gravesend.

Description
Chesterfield County has a twinning relationship with Gravesham Borough, England, a connection that provides collaborative and cultural exchanges between our two communities. Members have the opportunity to host one or two guests in their homes during future visits, and to being hosted by Gravesham Twinning Association members during our visits to England. Plans are currently being made for a delegation from Gravesham to come here in April 2014, and hopefully, a return visit to England in 2015.

Visits to England typically begin with breakfast with your host families, then off to a wide variety of group activities provided by the Gravesham Twinning Association, or visitors can sightsee on their own. When hosting our English guests, host families provide accommodations, breakfast and transportation to specific activities, often being able to join in on the group activities, if they choose. Twinners pay for their airfare, spending money and treat their host families to dinner at least one night during their stay. Twinning visits typically last one week, and many visitors extend their time so that they can visit other places in their host country.

In 2005, Chesterfield County and Gravesham Borough entered into a twinning agreement signifying a sister partnership. The twinning relationship was begun as part of the commemoration of the 400th anniversary of Jamestown Settlement. It also is designed to promote international friendship and understanding through education, tourism and civic opportunities between the two localities for many years to come. Now the community part of that relationship has begun a new phase with the establishment of the Chesterfield Twinning Association, under the umbrella of the Chester Community Association.