Local Partnerships (News)
This page containst the latest information about the activities of our group and the partnership activities of its members.
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LONDON STATEMENT ON YOUTH EXCHANGES AND UK-EU TWINNING
Posted by David Boxen
Representatives of youth organisations, twinning associations, educational bodies, local government and grassroots activists met under the auspices of the European Local Partnerships and Twinning Group, ELPTG, in London, 26-27 June. The event was held at Europe House, Westminster, hosted by the European Parliament Liaison Office to the UK and in association with London4Europe.
Those addressing the meeting included HE Miguel Berger, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to the UK, Sandro Gozi MEP, Co-Chair, EU-UK Parliamentary Partnership Assembly, Wera Hobhouse MP, Vice Chair, All-Party Parliamentary Group on Europe, Cllr David Gardner, Deputy Mayor, London Borough of Greenwich, Cllr Connie Nolan, Canterbury City Council/Kent County Council, Lucy Slack, Secretary-General, Commonwealth Local Government Forum, Sir Nick Harvey, CEO European Movement-UK, Maurizio Cuttin, UK Young Ambassador to Europe, British Youth Council and Alfred Quantrill, President Young European Movement. The Rt Hon The Lord Kinnock, former Vice President, European Commission, sent a message of support.
The meeting discussed successful local partnership and twinning experiences between the UK, notably London, and partners in the EU and looked at UK-EU Local Government Cooperation, Horizon Europe and new partnership funding opportunities, as well as local action taken in support of Ukraine. It also received the Chair’s report for 2024-25 and agreed its work programme for 2025-26.
Particular attention was devoted considering the next steps for UK-EU Youth Experience and Mobility including the possibility of the UK’s return to the Erasmus Plus scheme in the light of the decisions taken at the UK-EU London Summit held in May 2025; the European Parliament’s Ambassador School Programme was also discussed. The meeting was chaired by Dr Carl Wright.
The 2025 Meeting of the European Local Partnerships and Twinning Group, ELPTG, calls for:
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Early agreement on a comprehensive youth exchange/mobility scheme between the UK and the EU to allow young people the ability to travel, study and take part in work, cultural and other experience and exchange programmes freely without restriction, including school and student exchanges.
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The UK to rejoin the Erasmus Plus scheme forthwith, to provide the necessary financial means for all young people, especially those from less privileged backgrounds, to benefit from European exchanges.
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Ensuring that these provisions apply to young musicians, artists and other professions.
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The UK Government to provide active support, resources and encouragement to UK-EU twinning and local partnerships, aimed at promoting European awareness, economic, educational and cultural links, building on the initiatives by the French, German and other EU Governments and the European institutions; this should entail support for organisations like the British Youth Council, the UK Global Learning Association for Schools and the ELPTG, as well as for the promotion of foreign language teaching.
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The UK-EU Parliamentary Partnership Assembly and the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Europe to debate and promote the role of local and regional government and twinning/local partnerships as a way of strengthening UK-EU people-to people relations.
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Strategic engagement with Local Government, City Mayors and Devolved Governments to strengthen twinning /partnerships with European counterpart/support of new ones.
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Conclusion of official partnership agreements to support Ukrainian cities and partners.
The ELPTG expressed warm appreciation to the European Parliament Liaison Office to the UK, the European Movement-UK, London4Europe and all who had contributed to the success of the event.
Europe House, London, 27 June 2025 Further information: [email protected] -
Leeds marks relationship with its German "twin" city Dortmund at Dortmund Square
Posted by David Boxen
German dignitaries attending UKREiiF have visited Dortmund Square to see how Leeds City Council plans to continue celebrating its twinning relationship with the North Rhine-Westphalia city.
The German Honorary Consul, Regina Rosenthal, and Christian Klose, Investor Support Manager - Economic Development Agency Dortmund, were shown around the city centre landmark by Deputy Leader and executive member for economy, transport and sustainable development, Councillor Jonathan Pryor.
Councillor Pryor showed the visitors the recently installed place name signage and discussed the council’s plan for new wayfinding boards in the square, which celebrates Leeds’s twin city relationship with Dortmund.
Leeds has been officially twinned with Dortmund since 1969. However, the relationship dates to 1949, when the two cities started cooperating to nurture international peace, friendship, and understanding, following years of conflict between the UK and Germany.
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The Mayor of Konstanz, twin town of Richmond, Surrey, explains why "twinning" still matters
Posted by David Boxen
Date: 4 June 2025
Author: Uli Burchardt
Title: Mayor of KonstanzThis year marks a very special moment for Konstanz: the reaffirmation of our twinning relationships with Richmond upon Thames and Fontainebleau. In times like these - marked by uncertainty, change, and global challenges - these longstanding bonds between cities carry more meaning than ever.
Our twinning with Richmond goes back decades. It’s rooted in a shared belief that peace, understanding and friendship are best built through direct human connection. It began as a gesture of post-war reconciliation. Today, it stands as a living commitment to European cooperation, democratic values and mutual respect.
When we think about international partnerships, we often picture formal agreements or ceremonial events. But twinning is something far more vital. It is about people. It’s about the students who visit each other’s schools and realise how much they have in common. It’s about artists who collaborate across languages and cultures. It’s about residents who meet, host, and share life experiences that stay with them for a lifetime.
Konstanz is a city where borders are a part of daily life. We sit directly on the edge of Germany and Switzerland. We see, every day, how openness, cooperation and shared responsibility can work in practice. Twinning reflects this same spirit – crossing borders, building bridges and enriching our communities from the ground up.
This reaffirmation is not just a formality. It is a signal – to our citizens, and to the wider world – that we remain committed to each other. That we believe in dialogue over division, in friendship over isolation. In an era of global challenges – climate change, social cohesion and political polarization – these partnerships are not just ‘nice to have’. They are vital. Because no city stands alone.
In Richmond, we see a city that shares many of our values: a deep respect for culture and heritage, a commitment to sustainability, and a strong sense of community. The work that is done here – between schools, artists, young people and civic groups – is a great example of what international cooperation looks like when it is rooted in real relationships.
To everyone in Richmond: thank you for the warm welcome you have extended to our delegation over the years and for the genuine friendship you continue to offer. We are proud to walk this path with you – and excited to write the next chapter of our partnership together.
Let us reaffirm this twinning not just in words, but in action. Through exchange, collaboration and trust. Because strong cities make a strong Europe – and strong friendships make all the difference.
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Leeds-Dortmund - German language initiative
Posted by David Boxen
January 2025: Geoff Tranter, born in Leeds but a long-term resident of Leeds’s twin city, Dortmund, has developed a Beginners’ German Course for English-speaking visitors from Leeds to the Twin City. The course is built around the needs of a British visitor to Germany and presents practical and cultural information about the city of Dortmund. His work was generously funded by the local Government of North Rhein-Westphalia. Recent promotion of the course attracted interest from over 200 citizens of Leeds.
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West Midlands - European Capital of Innovation award
Posted by David Boxen
In November 2024 the West Midlands won 3rd place as European Capital of Innovation under the Horizon Europe programme which the UK has now re-joined.
For more info:
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Bristol - EU Pilot Cities Programme
Posted by David Boxen
In March 2023 Bristol was awarded €1.5 million (£1.3 million) following a successful bid for a new innovative climate action project through the NetZeroCities Pilot Cities Programme from the EU Pilot Cities programme.
Together with 52 fellow Pilot Cities across Europe, Bristol – the only UK city to be awarded funding – is using the grant to further accelerate climate action and rapidly decarbonise the city. The successful Bristol consortium partners are Bristol City Council, Bristol and Bath Regional Capital, Bristol Green Capital Partnership and Abundance Investment.
For more info:
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Re-affirmation 2025
Posted by David Boxen
Richmond-on-Thames will host an event entitled “Celebrating France and Germany” to mark the re-affirmation of its twinning agreement with Konstanz in Germany and Fontainebleau in France.
Events will be organised over the weekend of 6th to 8th June 2025 by societies, clubs and other organisations together with their peers in the twinned cities.
For further details click here.