COMMUNITIES hundreds of miles apart could be brought closer together if Macedonian residents find favour with forging a friendship with Hawkshead.

Families in Capari, a village

close to Macedonian's second city of Bitola, have offered to play host to four guests from the Lake District beauty spot when they fly out on January 23.

The week-long trip will see local residents James Johnson, Dorothy Maudsley, Bill Barr and Jennifer Butterworth exploring possible links between groups in the two villages and considering whether Hawkshead can offer any material help.

Capari was chosen, with advice from the British Council, because its 500-strong population is similar in size to Hawkshead, and the village would benefit from support.

Macedonia is considered one of the poorest countries of the Yugoslav republics, with almost 40 per cent of its population unemployed and about a quarter of people living below the poverty line.

Capari is a far cry from the quaint cobbled streets of Hawkshead, a beautiful haven which attracts the attention and money of retiring couples, visitors with holiday spends at the ready and second-home buyers.

One idea for helping Capari is that unwanted, second-hand computers from Lake District businesses could be donated to its primary school so pupils in both villages could email each other English is the second language in Macedonia.

Mr Johnson, a retired solicitor from Outgate, stressed it was neither a charitable venture

nor a bid to form a formal twinning association, rather

"an informal linking of friendship".

The steering group hopes contact will create links between community groups, such as schools and theatrical societies, as well as share skills and knowledge, and create a more personal understanding of another way of

life.

Mr Johnson said they had been inspired to tap into Hawkshead's strong community spirit by its support of Ulverston-based refugees during the Kosovo conflict.

He said he and his wife Linda had stored donated items in their barn before collection, including virtually new clothing.

"The response from the village was enormous it was amazing," said Mr Johnson. "We all felt we were doing something with friends for a good cause and were all heading in the same direction."

He added: "Hawkshead is an absolutely beautiful village in the Lake District and it would be easy to limit ourselves to the local surroundings without perhaps looking outwards where we could do something to help other people less fortunate."

The self-funding group is embarking on its trip with the support of Hawkshead Parish Council, and hopes to share its experience of Capari with friends and neighbours on their return by staging a presentation in the Market Hall on February 26.

They are taking with them video and digital cameras to capture as much village life as they can to bring back with them.

January 16, 2003 11:00