A TRIP-OF-A-LIFETIME awaits two teenagers from West Craven who have won coveted places on a two-week visit to China.

Just five places were available on the trip, which was organised by the Pendle Twinning Association. And two of them have been won by 16-year-old Shaun Nixon, of Roundell Road, Barnoldswick, and 18-year old Katarzyna Melling, of School Terrace, Salterforth.

They and three other winners from other parts of Pendle will travel to Changzhi - about 1,000 kilometres south-west of Bejing - for a two week international friendship event in July.

It has been organised and sponsored by the Huls Corporation, a company based in Pendle's twin town of Marl, in Germany. The event involves young people from Marl, from Pendle and its other twin town of Creil, in France, and also from Bitterfeld in Germany, Herzliya in Israel, and the host city of Changzhi, China.

In Pendle, any young person who will be between the ages of 17 and 23 in July had the chance to go on the trip, by entering a competition launched late last year. They had to write in no more than 250 words why they should be chosen to represent Pendle at the international event.

All the entries were then whittled down to around 20 finalists who were invited to an interview with representatives of the Pendle Twinning Association last week. Finally, the lucky five were chosen.

Shaun, who is in the sixth form at Ermysted's Grammar School, Skipton, was given the good news in a letter which arrived on Saturday morning.

"I was quite surprised, but very pleasantly surprised," he said.

At weekends, Shaun works at Foulridge Canal Cruises and it was his boss there, Martin Cleaver, who told him about the competition and encouraged him to apply. Now Shaun, who was recently awarded the President's Badge, one of the top honours in the Boys' Brigade, is really looking forward to the trip in July.

The second West Craven winner, Katarzyna Melling, has known for a little longer that she would be going on the trip.

She actually won a place on a similar trip last year, to Creil in France. Unfortunately, due to a number of problems, it had to be cancelled. Katarzyna was disappointed, but the twinning association was so impressed by her that she was offered a place on the trip to China - a little further away than France!

She said: "I'm really excited about it and really glad that I've been picked to represent Pendle. It's quite an honour, and a big responsibility too."

She explained that during the event, the young people from each country would have to devise and give a presentation about the place where they came from. There would also be chances for sightseeing and learning about Chinese culture, as well as getting to know the young people from other countries.

"I'm looking forward to meeting the others and working as a team on the presentation," said Katarzyna.

She is currently studying science, English maths, communication studies and environmental science at Nelson and Colne College.

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