History

Here is a brief look at the history of our organisation down the last four decades, highlighting just a few of the landmarks along the way.

1960's

Europe enters a new era of cross-cultural exchange and with it comes the birth of youth travel. Euroculture establishes in April 1966 in Pinner, Middlesex as a pioneer in this movement.

1967 - The first Euroculture group, from France, arrives at Easter of this year. 

Further groups follow in the summer including visitors from Tunisia and Algeria.

1969 - The first groups from Germany are welcomed, the photo on the left shows 180 German pupils posing on the steps of Watford Town Hall together with their host families.

1970's

1971 - The decade begins with a move to larger premises in a shop in North Harrow, Middlesex (pictured right).

The next few years see a steady increase in visitor numbers leading to the opening of more centres to welcome them. The geographic spread moves rapidly out from the original base around the North London suburbs.

1978 - Euroculture becomes a limited company - under the title Euroculture International Cultural Services.

1979 - By the end of the decade groups are being welcomed all over England, Wales and Scotland and this expansion requires a move to a larger suite of offices in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire.

1980's

1986 - Euroculture celebrates its 20th Anniversary with a staff visit to France (pictured on the left).

1988 - Euroculture re-locates to Norwich, Norfolk.

1989 - The final year of this decade sees the unprecedented visit of our first group from the Soviet Union, the picture on the right shows the group's leaders with the Lord Mayor and Sheriff of Norwich.

1990's

1990 - Sir Anthony Siaguru, the Deputy Secretary General of the commonwealth, is the Opening Speaker at Euroculture's 'International Youth Conference on World Environmental Problems' run in conjunction with the University of East Anglia.

1996 - Euroculture celebrates its 30th Anniversary (pictured left).

1997 - The first Euroculture web-site is launched.

2000's

2000 - The directors and staff celebrate the New Millennium (pictured right).

2003 - Euroculture offers its first French centres to UK schools.

2004 - First Schools from UK visit Euroculture's centres in France. These include a school from The Shetland Islands spending a week in Paris. Travelling by boat to Aberdeen then by coach to Glasgow for their flight to Paris.

2006 - The first Scout Group to travel with Euroculture (now forty years young) visit the Battlefields and Landing Beaches of Normandy for a special Remembrance visit (pictured, left). The special events arranged include a welcome by the Mayor of Bernières and an exchange of pennants with a local senior Scout group.

2007 - Euroculture makes a pledge to support the 'Learning Outside the Classroom' Manifesto, an initiative from the Department for Education and Skills, reflecting the growing numbers of UK schools visiting France with us.

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