Enrich yourself with taste of the Far East with Bridport group (From Bridport and Lyme Regis News)

Enrich yourself with taste of the Far East with Bridport group

12:00pm Saturday 26th January 2013 in Bridport By James Tourgout

MORE young people are being urged to join the Bridport/Tokyo Exchange as it goes from strength to strength.

Recruitment is underway for the 2013 to 2014 programme with places available for young people aged 15 years and over.

Plans to introduce an adult exchange are also being developed.

The exchange programme, now in its 15th year, has seen two developments recently.

Phoebe Taylor’s partner on the most recent programme of 2011 to 2012 visited her host family in Bridport in order to experience her first Christmas in England.

Phoebe said: “Chiharu said it was her best Christmas ever.

“She loved the idea of a traditional English Christmas because of course it’s not celebrated in Japan as much as it is here.”

Phoebe’s mum Emma Taylor added: “Phoebe gained a huge insight into a different culture as part of an excellent exchange programme.

“She and Chiharu are now extremely close, and Phoebe regards her as one of her closest friends.

“She’s experienced making wonderful lifelong friends with wonderful people from a very different culture.”

Freya Le Helloco, also a member of the 2011 to 2012 programme, e-mailed exchange co-ordinator Arthur Woodgate and group leader Andrew Blake to tell them she had been accepted to read Japanese at Cambridge University.

She said: “The Exchange has been extremely helpful in applications to all my university choices, as material for my personal statement and something to discuss in interviews. I wanted to say thank you again for giving me the opportunity to be a part of such an amazing experience.”

Contact Mr Woodgate on 01308 423767 or a.c.woodgate@btinter net.com for more information.