World Vision - Bonds lie in more than a name

Sep 14 2006 By Iain Laing, North East Vision

It is often said you should judge someone by the company they keep, and if so then Wearside has just stepped up its social status. Iain Laing found out about the area's new-found transatlantic friendship.

One is a grand capital city which is home to the most powerful man in the world, the other is a small town in the North-East of England. But Washington DC and the Washington just outside Sunderland have more in common than just their name.

And now they are even more closely linked, thanks to the signing of a historic Agreement of Friendship with Washington DC - an honour Sunderland will share with Dhakar, Bangkok and Beijing.

Over the next five years the two places will collaborate on a host of activities to create closer friendship and co-operation between both and develop programmes of mutual benefit.

Work will focus on boosting economic development, generating new cultural and educational programmes, promoting tourism and sharing experience on social inclusion and projects to promote citizen participation.

Kate Gardener, who has worked for the last 15 years as house manager of the Old Hall in Washington, is delighted. No surprise perhaps, as the building incorporates parts of the ancestral home of the first US president George Washington, after whom the US capital is named.

"It's fantastic news, brilliant. I was aware something was going on and that it had a connection with the Old Hall, but they kept it under wraps until the official announcement. It's the biggest thing to happen for ages and will benefit all of the region. Everyone is delighted," she said.

Sunderland City Council leader Bob Symonds chose the Old Hall as the venue for making the link-up announcement, describing it as a major coup for the UK.

Coun Symonds said: "This agreement will focus on boosting economic development, generating new cultural and educational programmes, promoting tourism and sharing experience on social inclusion and e-government initiatives to promote citizen participation."

As for the benefits to the people of Sunderland, Coun Symonds pointed out that 6,000 people already worked on Wearside for American-owned companies, and he expects that figure to increase.

"We have already established strong links with the eastern seaboard of America, attracting 10 new US companies to invest in the city," he said.

"Washington Old Hall is a national and international treasure. And our modern-day links with the US have resulted in great benefit for the people of Sunderland - not least in the jobs we have created.

"We felt it was time to cement and develop the historic relationship in a way that would take full advantage of the potential benefits for both the people of Sunderland and the people of Washington DC."

One of the latest such investments will see more than 200 jobs created at a £15m factory making car seats for the new model to be produced by Nissan.

US automotive supplier the Lear Corporation and its Japanese rival Tachi-S have joined forces to create Tacle Seating UK to run the plant in Houghton, Washington, on the site of the former Lucas Sumitomo factory.

Sunderland City Council first met Lear in 2001 and has spent the last 18 months setting up the deal.

The opening came a week after Sunderland signed the historic friendship agreement with Washington DC, paving the way for a series of joint programmes focussing on economic development, culture and education between the two cities over the next five years.

The Old Hall, in Washington Village, has been an attraction for US tourists for many years.

Its most famous visitor was President Jimmy Carter who, in a historic visit to the North-East in May, 1977, thrilled crowds outside Newcastle Civic Centre with the words: "Howay the lads".

And after he became an honorary Freeman, he said: "I am very grateful to be a Geordie now." At Washington he toured the Old Hall and then planted a tree on the nearby village green to commemorate his visit.