THE word is out about Bathurst thanks to Cirencester resident Alice Chandler's adventures in the city.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
More than 170 expressions of interest have been received by Cirencester College, in England's Cotswolds district, in its search to find the young person who will follow in Ms Chandler's footsteps.
Ms Chandler, a former Cirencester College student, visited Bathurst in October 2018 as part of the growing friendship between the two communities.
She came back from university recently to give a talk to some of the interested students at the college.
"Travelling throughout Australia for six months was the best and most rewarding thing I've ever done, especially my time in Bathurst," she said.
"I made so many incredible memories in the city as well as amazing friends, which became my Aussie family.
"I really encourage anyone to go if they have the chance and the Cirencester-Bathurst friendship is the perfect opportunity to do so."
Andrew Lennard of the Cirencester Community Development Trust said the idea is to send a young person from the area, who would not usually have the chance, to Bathurst to experience a life-changing opportunity - "through work, study, the arts, sports or in the voluntary sector".
Cirencester College vice principal Karen Fraser will be going through all the applications with Mr Lennard and they will be shortlisting candidates for interviews at the end of the month.
A decision will be made in the first week of April.
"We are working with the Cirencester Bathurst Friendship team so that this can become an annual opportunity for a young person," she said.
Bathurst Business Chamber will take a trade mission to Cirencester in early May to coincide with the signing of a friendship agreement between Bathurst Regional Council and the Cirencester Town Council.
"We are seeking to expand historical niceties into trade, collaboration and tourism in a post-Brexit world," former chamber president Angus Edwards said at the launch of the trade mission earlier this week.
The launch included a briefing from the NSW Trade and Investment Commissioner to the UK, Keirra Smith.