Chesterfield delegation travels to Gravesham, England
Twinning relationship could lead to more county tourism
By Katherine Peters

A delegation from Gravesham, England, visited Chesterfield County last December. Dennis Farmer (center), acting director of Henricus Historical Park, talked with the delegation and county officials during that visit. A delegation from Chesterfield is in Gravesham this week as part of a special twinning relationship between the two locales.

A delegation of county officials and school students arrived in Gravesend, England this week as part of a twinning relationship between the English borough of Gravesham and Chesterfield County.

The week-long trip represents the next step in the two locales' efforts to become sister communities, a partnership designed to help celebrate Jamestown's 400th anniversary. The delegation will focus on cultivating education, tourism, and economic development between the two communities.

"It's exciting for Chesterfield to be involved because of the significant relationship we have with Gravesend, England," said County Administrator Lane Ramsey.

Chesterfield and Gravesend share the story of the Indian princess Pocahontas, who was baptized and married at what is now Henricus Historical Park in Chesterfield and buried at St. George's Church in Gravesend.

As part of the twinning process, 16 high school students and four teachers from Chesterfield County will stay with host families in Gravesham through July 20, marking the beginning of a permanent student exchange program between the locations. Gravesham students will visit Chesterfield next year.

Colleen Bryant, Chesterfield County Public Schools instructional specialist for social studies, Chris Ruth, co-chair of Chesterfield 2007 and assistant director of public affairs, and Amanda Chenault, Chesterfield 2007 coordinator, plan to work with Gravesham officials to promote tourism as Jamestown's 400th anniversary approaches next year.

Meanwhile, Ramsey, Supervisor Dickie King of the Bermuda district, and Economic Development Director Will Davis will meet with Gravesham officials and business firms to discuss how to exchange best business practices and further economic growth in both communities.

The Jamestown 400th Commemoration Commission extended the twinning invitation to Chesterfield after considering both the county and Gloucester, Virginia. The Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution to partner with Gravesham last July.

In December, the Gravesham Borough Council passed a resolution to accept the twinning relationship and sent a delegation to Virginia to discuss goals for the process.

At last month's Board of Supervisors meeting, King asked each supervisor to comment on the advisability of him making the trip to England. All of the supervisors agreed King should represent the board as part of the delegation.

A delegation of 60 Native Americans representing eight tribes will travel to Gravesham separately. This is the first time that all of Virginia's tribes have come together at one location, Ramsey said.

On July 15, Gravesham will host a cultural festival to honor Virginia's Native Americans and commemorate the Godspeed's departure from England, which ultimately led to the founding of Jamestown.

The county delegation will also visit St. George's Church and Pocahontas' grave on Sunday. "All this leads to more tourism, which promotes

business in the county," Ramsey said, anticipating the same benefits for Gravesham. "This has been a collaborative effort."

Ramsey could not provide exact figures for how much the trip will cost the county, although airfare is estimated around $1,000 per person, according to Deputy County Administrator Becky Dickson.

The Chesterfield County Historical Society has contributed $2,000 to help sponsor the trip. Gravesham will cover the delegation's costs of meals and hotels, as Chesterfield County did for Gravesham officials who visited in December 2005. The students and teachers are paying their own way.