24/10/03 - Japanese visitors come to Cumbria : Cumbria County Council

On Tuesday 28thOctober at 12pm in the Leaders Room at the Courts in Carlisle, Cumbria County Council Chairman Joe Nicholson, Leader of the Council Rex Toft and, Deputy Leader of the Council Mike Ash will meet Ms Natsu Morio and Mr Hiroyuki Sugeno, 2 Japanese Local Government Officers. Cumbria County Council is hosting the visit as part of a 3-month study programme to the United Kingdom when the Officers will study national and local government systems.

The 2 Japanese Officers are studying ecological tourism, groundwork, local partnerships and promoting social participation of the elderly. Ms Morrio works in Kochi Prefectural Government and Mr Sugeno works for the Fukushima Prefectural Board of Education. They will spend 12 days in Cumbria visiting various public and voluntary organisations.

County Council Chairman is looking forward to hosting this year’s visit. He says

“I am delighted that Cumbria is again involved in such a worth while study programme. This Council hosts a visit by Japanese Local Government Officers each year and we welcome the opportunity to share good practice and policy work in local government. I am sure our visitors will learn from the strong partnership arrangements that exist in Cumbria between the County and District Councils as well as the voluntary and community sector. Not only will these Officers take away information on how we work here but the visit will also enable us to learn more about how they provide services in Japan.”

The programme for the visit is as follows:

Monday 27 October 2003

Meeting with David Claxton, Head of Member Services at Cumbria County Council

Meeting with John Bell Carlisle City Council Tourism Manager followed by lunch and an ‘Introduction to Carlisle’ historical tour of the City

Tuesday 28 October 2003

Meeting with Michelle Kershaw, Social Services – Social Participation of the elderly and partnerships with the voluntary sector

Meeting and lunch with the Chairman the Leader and Deputy Leader of Cumbria County Council in the Leader’s Room at the Courts in Carlisle followed by a meeting with Jessica Riddle at Age Concern in Carlisle. Also visit to Local Day Centre

Visit to Hilltop Farm, Little Sawrey and meeting re local compacts with voluntary sector partners. Also visit to Beatrix Potter attraction at Bowness on Windermere

Thursday 30 October

Meeting with Mike Heaslip, Partnership Secretary, West Cumbria Partnership in Workington

Friday 31 October

Meeting with John Reynolds, Tourism Manager at Allerdale Borough Council in Workington followed by a local visit

Lunch at Muncaster Castle followed by a meeting with Zena Bergmann, Tourism Manager at Copeland Borough Council and local visits

Monday 3 November

Visit Rheged, Interactive Local history Centre in Penrith, Oasis Holiday Village and Hackthorpe Business Centre followed by a meeting with Richard Pealing, Rural Regeneration Cumbria and local visits

Tuesday 4 November

Visit to Birdoswald Roman Fort, Gilsland and other Roman Wall sites followed by a meeting with Adrian Pritchard, Brampton Rural Housing

Wednesday 5 November

Meeting with Alex McKenzie, Ecological Tourism and Groundwork. Visit to Groundwork Solway Coast area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Followed by lunch and a visit to Sellafield.

Thursday 6 November

Visit Elizabeth Welsh House, Residential Home for Older Adults, Pennine Way, Carlisle followed by a meeting with the Chairman of Cumbria County Council at the Courts in Carlisle