The Sister Cities Association of Mansfield, England has been in existence since 1989, and has close links with its namesakes all over the world. Over the years there have been many international contacts, both personal and business, and citizens of nearly all the Mansfields in the world have visited, or been visited by, citizens of other Mansfields around the world.
We work closely with Mansfield District Council, which has a formal twinning relationship with Mansfield, Ohio, and with Mansfield Rotary Club, which is twinned with the Rotary Club in Mansfield, Massachusetts.
How it started
The links go back further than the association itself. In 1948 Denzil Hyde-Barker opened a travel shop in Mansfield, and by 1951 he was visiting the United States to bring American visitors to Nottinghamshire. His visits to the Rotary Clubs of Mansfield, Massachusetts and Mansfield, Ohio were the start of many visits between the Mansfields of the old and new worlds. Read his son Michael’s account.
The Millennium Celebration and after
In May 2000, representatives from eleven Mansfields travelled to Mansfield, England for a three-week celebration of our towns, with more than 100 visitors attending. That led to a run of gatherings: Massachusetts in 2004, Michigan in 2006 and 2010, Ohio in 2008, England again in 2012 and Pennsylvania in 2016.
Young people
We have always encouraged young people to make the most of the links. In 1996 the association sponsored a Brunts School sixth former to spend three weeks in Mansfield, Ohio, and in 2002 Thomas Scott spent his gap year touring nine American Mansfields. More about the youth exchange.
The association has also run a schools’ project, co-ordinated by Jo Brown. You can email her at schools@sistercities.co.uk.
Get in touch
The main co-ordinator of the association is Stewart Rickersey. Email mansfield@sistercities.co.uk or find us on Facebook.