Tag Archives: oxford

presenting our new committee

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The Association was on the verge of closing, but there was a strong feeling at the well attended Oxford Leon Association AGM on 23 February that something of value would be lost, both for Oxford and León, if the Association ceased operating, and fortunately volunteers came forward! The Leon Association supports the twin between Oxford and León in the Central American republic of Nicaragua. 

“I am thrilled that the Leon Association, the first Oxford link with a city in the Global South, will continue”, says outgoing chair and former Oxford Lord Mayor, John Tanner. The Association raises funds to support clean water projects in remote communities and education projects in poor areas of León and cultural exchanges. 

The new officers are: Patrick Gray OBE (chair, shown below, left), Cllr Mike Rowley (secretary, right) and Jenny Houston (treasurer). Patrick Gray was a long-time director of the Midlands Co-operative Society and is a former City councillor. Mike Rowley is Oxford’s Deputy Lord Mayor and visited Leon in 2013.           

 

Christian Bonilla (Vice-Chair), Deirdre d’Arcy (membership) and Michael Gross (publicity) stay in their previous roles.

Oxford’s twin with far-away Leon was set up nearly 40 years ago to support health, education and the relief of poverty in Leon. Members have visited to see how projects we support are managing and we have also brought over teachers and musicians from León and visit schools to talk about life in León.  We welcome new members to keep the link going!  Long may the link continue!

we have a new committee!

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After worrying that we may be short of people and ideas to continue running the association, we had a very well-attended and constructive AGM and managed to elect a new chair, secretary and treasurer.

The new officers are: Patrick Gray OBE (Chair), Cllr Mike Rowley (Secretary) and Jenny Houston (Treasurer). Patrick Gray was a long-time director of the Midlands Co-operative Society and is a former City councillor. Mike Rowley is Oxford’s Deputy Lord Mayor and visited Leon in 2013.

Christian Bonilla (Vice-Chair), Deirdre d’Arcy (membership) and Michael Gross (publicity) stay in their previous roles.

The Oxford Clarion reports:

Oxford’s twin town arrangement with Leon, Nicaragua, will continue after the Leon Association was revived at a Town Hall meeting. The cities were twinned 40 years ago to show support for the Sandinista government, but dwindling volunteer involvement had raised fears for its continuation. “I am thrilled that the first Oxford link with a city in the Global South will continue,” said outgoing chair and former Lord Mayor John Tanner. “Politics has turned sour in Nicaragua and it is impossible to have official links. But the association still supports clean water and education projects.” This week’s City Council budget allocated an extra £20,000 to support volunteers in town twinning groups, with amendments which proposed to spend the money on other Oxford community projects defeated.

The news was also reported in the Oxford Mail.

AGM coming up on Tuesday 24 February

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the next meeting of OLAT will be our AGM on Tuesday 24 February at 7 pm at Oxford Town Hall and on Zoom.

This will be an important meeting when we will need to decide if OLAT can continue operating.

  • There are only a few of us at meetings and we have not been able to recruit new blood.
  • There has not been a delegation to León since January 2017, when Janey and myself went – although we brought over the musicians Paco and Franklin in 2018, Gioconda in 2019 and the young classical musicians Cesar and Jose in 2024.
  • Our contacts in León have dwindled to Gioconda and Jane Longley.
  • We do not have contact with the Town Hall in León.  The Nicaraguan Ambassador in London – Guisell Morales – used to be supportive of our link, but the Nicaraguan Embassy has closed.  There is no other structure of support for OLAT either in UK or Nicaragua.

It will be very sad to lose our link with León, after almost 40 years of solidarity, support, cultural exchange with a vibrant culture, a very productive and beneficial link to both Oxford and León over the years, we have learned a lot from each other.

A lion (Spanish: león) outside the cathedral of León. Photo: Por Elemaki – Trabajo propio, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2821528

OLAT meeting Tuesday 22.4.2025

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The next meeting of OLAT will be next Tuesday 22 April, 7 pm at the Town Hall and on Zoom.

We will be looking at what to support with our funds, what is happening with NECAT and clean water for the hillside communities.

Planning the Sponsored Swim which will be on Wednesday 2 July, 4 pm to 7 pm at the beautiful Hinksey Pool – we have flyers to display, see attached, and discuss how to publicise the swim.  Do make a note in your diary!  Swimmers and helpers needed on the day!

The Misa Campesina will be on Sunday 7 September or Sunday 5 October – we will confirm the date after Easter.  

Ox_Leon_Sponsored_Swim_Flyer2025Descarga

meeting tomorrow

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we have been a bit quiet since the misa campesina, as we had no major event to shout about, but we’re still meeting every once in a while to discuss meaningful things to do to help the people of Leon in Nicaragua. The next meeting will actually be tomorrow, Tue 25th, at the town hall, starting 7pm.

Oh, and it also happens to be the AGM. So do come numerously.

Misa Campesina coming up in 4 weeks time

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As part of our partnership with Leon, the Misa Campesina has been sung in Oxford once a year since the 1980s, only paused for the Covid years.

This year, we’re a bit later than usual, but the date is coming up soon, it will be the Sunday 1st of September, 9:30 am at Blackfriars. As usual, all singers and musicians are encouraged to join the choir and the band respectively. There will be two rehearsals on the Saturdays before, ie 24.8. and 31.8, 10-12 at Blackfriars. More details closer to the dates, but save the dates!

Looking back at the twinning concert

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The twinning concert on July 13 starring our Nicaraguan friends Jose and Cesar was an amazing success, and on top of the rehearsals and concerts the pair also spent time on community outreach and getting to know Oxford and a little bit of London as well.

Now they’re back home and there are so many impressions to remember, so we’ll do a few blog entries looking back at all the excitement. First of all, a few more photos from the rehearsals at the New Road Baptist Church – stay tuned for more photos and video content:

the musicians have landed

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Our guests from Nicaragua, Cesar and Jose, safely arrived on Thursday and are now busy with rehearsals for the concert of the international youth orchestra coming up on Saturday 13th.

On their first full day in Oxford they already gave a couple of performances at the Oxford Folk Club:

Cesar playing guitar here but at the Carmina Burana concert he will be playing the cello.

To find out more about the concert click here.

June meeting and Sponsored Swim this week!

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The next meeting of OLAT is on Tuesday 25 June at 7 pm at Oxford Town Hall and on Zoom.  

This meeting will focus on our Sponsored Swim next Friday 28 June, 4 pm to 7 pm – help needed to set up from 3 pm – please contact me if you can help!.  Please see flyer attached and display if you can.  This is our biggest fund raising event of the year and is to support the visit of the musicians and also to support NECAT (Nicaragua Education Culture and Arts Trust).

We will also be preparing for the exciting visit of the two young classical musicians from Nicaragua to play in the Youth Twinning Orchestra in July.  Cesar and Jose will arrive on Thursday 4 July and return on Thursday 18 July.  Young musicians aged 12 to 25 from Oxford’s twin cities will rehearse together 8 – !3 July, culminating in a performance of Carmina Burana at Oxford Town Hall on Saturday 13 July, 7 pm!  Cesar on Cello and Jose on Violin will play in the orchestra and also visit schools and community centres.  It will be an amazing experience for the young musicians and good to have a cultural exchange from Nicaragua!  Many thanks to their hosts for enabling this to happen – Sue Matthew, Jan Marshall, Dr Latifa Noman and Angela Alban.  The orchestra will be led by John Lubbock, conductor of Orchestra of St John’s:

Carmina Burana – Youth Twinning concert – 7pm at Town Hall, Oxford – Orchestra of St John’s | Taking classical music out into the community (osj.org.uk)

You can book now – I’ve got my tickets!

We are going to hold the lovely Misa Campesina at Blackfriars on Sunday 1 September, at the 9.30 Mass.

Thank you for your continued interest and support for León!  Hope to see you on 25 June, all welcome!  Or at the Sponsored Swim 28th!