THE mayor of Weston, Ciaran Cronnelly, has showcased the RNLI Weston Lifeboat Station to the lord mayor of Hildesheim.

In 1983, Weston twinned with Hildesheim, which can be found in Lower Saxony, Germany. Since then, the two towns have been exchanging ideas and learning more about different cultures.

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the collaboration, Dr Ingo Meyer, the lord mayor of the German town, and his team are touring Weston town and seeing some of its highlights, including the Weston-super-Mare Foodbank.

Posting on Facebook yesterday (Wednesday, June 28), Mr Cronnelly said: "This afternoon we headed over to RNLI Weston Lifeboat Station with the lord mayor of Hildesheim to learn more about their amazing life saving work.

"Locally we're all very proud of the RNLI and all the volunteers that support the running of the life boat - whether as fundraisers, crew or supporting the operations.

"We talked about the different boats and vehicles, the life saving equipment they use, as well as the hope - all of our hope - that we'll see them back at Birnbeck Pier soon.

"People often don't realise but the RNLI is pretty much exclusively run by volunteers and receives no government funding - they rely heavily on donations.

"The crew are volunteers and many have other day jobs and go out in difficult and dangerous situations to save the lives of others. I have huge admiration for everyone at the RNLI.

"I, the lord mayor of Hildesheim and all our colleagues who attended today are incredibly thankful for the work of the RNLI who have had an incredibly busy year already.

"Thank you RNLI Weston Lifeboat Station for your amazing work!"

A spokesperson from Weston Town Council explains the importance of these collaborations: "Twinning, or sister city programs, are initiatives that facilitate connections between communities in different countries, encouraging cultural, educational, and economic exchanges.

"The twinning of Weston-super-Mare and Hildesheim has proven to be a meaningful and enriching experience for both towns. It has allowed the residents to appreciate their similarities and differences, promoting cultural diversity, and global understanding.

"The partnership has endured for many years, and it continues to strengthen the ties between these two vibrant communities."

For those that wish to be kept informed, you can follow the mayor of Weston's Facebook page, where regular updates will be posted.