The Sister Cities Association of Mansfield is appealing for new members ahead of its visit to one of the 40 other Mansfields across the world.

The association, which is planning a trip to Mansfield, Pennsylvania, USA in 2016, was set up in 1989 and has close links with its namesakes.

It works closely with Mansfield District Council, which has a formal twinning link with Mansfield, Ohio, USA, and Mansfield Rotary Club, which is twinned with its counterparts in Mansfield, Massachusetts, USA.

Now the group is urging more people to join and possibly take part in the trip to Pennsylvania.

The association is holding an exhibition in the Four Seasons Centre, 9am-5pm, on Sister Cities Day, 17th May, which was established between the Mansfields around the world after the Millennium gathering in May 2000.

On that occasion a formal dinner was held in Mansfield, UK, which was attended by Lord Mansfield, David Murray from Scone Palace, and the Lord Lieutenant of Nottinghamshire, Sir Andrew Buchanan.

The association said Mansfield, UK, has benefited from its sister city relationship with Mansfield, Ohio, through the establishment of DARE – the schools drug abuse resistance education programme – business networking group Mansfield 2020, the Rotary Courage Awards, the Miss Mansfield and Sherwood Forest exchanges and youth mayor exchanges.

Formal exchanges involving Mansfields have taken place in Mansfield, Massachusetts, USA in 2004, Mansfield, Ohio in 2008 and Mansfield, England in 2012.

Of the 40 places called Mansfield, there are 33 habitable cities, towns, villages, suburbs and hamlets. There are seven other places of interest with Mansfield in their name.

The 33 main Mansfields are:

UK – Mansfield, England; Mansfield, Scotland.

Australia – Mansfield, Queensland; Mansfield, Victoria; Mansfield Park Township, South Australia.

Canada – Mansfield, Ontario; Mansfield, Quebec.

Germany – Mansfield.

Ireland – Mansfield, County Louth.

South Africa – Mansfield, Northern Cape.

USA – Mansfield Alabama; Mansfield Village, Alaska; Mansfield, Arkansas; Mansfield, Connecticut; Mansfield, Georgia; Mansfield, Illinois; Mansfield, Indiana; Mansfield, Kansas; Mansfield, Louisiana; Mansfield, Massachusetts; Mansfield, Michigan; Mansfield, Minnesota; Mansfield, Mississippi; Mansfield, Missouri; Mansfield Township, Burlington County, New Jersey; Mansfield Township, Warren County, New Jersey; Mansfield, New York; Mansfield, North Carolina; Mansfield, Ohio; Mansfield, Pennsylvania; Mansfield, South Dakota; Mansfield, Tennessee; Mansfield, Texas; Port Mansfield, Texas; Mansfield, Vermont; Mansfield, Washington; and Mansfield, West Virginia.