On this page we are building up a record of ideas, established programmes and potential organisations to work with to realise a new twin town for Wandsworth. We’re still at an early stage – please contact us at wandsworth@europeanmovement.co.uk with any ideas that build on these or indeed are completely different!
Twin with a Borough in Berlin?
Choosing a German partner might give us a head-start:
- Britain and Germany, and London and Berlin in particular, have a great deal in common: both cities are prominent on the world stage, with boroughs of comparable size and a similar mix of inner city and more suburban districts;
- Recent top-level undertakings between the German and British Governments have given a fresh push to local twinning arrangements – and the German Government appears to be putting money behind its commitment too.
- For example, its ‘Host a Teacher from Germany’ scheme assigns schools here, for an agreed period, an English-speaking qualified teacher, not just free of charge but with funding attached to help the school make the most of the additional resource.
- In addition, the British-German Association, a voluntary-sector body based here in London promoting friendship between the two nations, is keen to support existing twinnings and provide advice to get new partnerships off the ground.
Twin with a town in Ukraine?
A particularly inspiring option might be twinning with somewhere in Ukraine; this would demonstrate the support of the people of Wandsworth and create valuable opportunities to learn about each other.
The University of Roehampton took part in the ‘Scholars at Risk’ programme to provide support for academics in the early days of the Russian invasion and subsequently participated in a study into what potential further roles the education sector could play.
We have heard that a partnership with a town in Ukraine is Wandsworth Council’s preferred first option, although all recognise the practical challenges of setting up a partnership right now. It could be pursued alongside other potential partners closer to home.
Findings from our local survey
We recently sounded out our members on a few options for partner boroughs. Targetting Berlin, a clear majority of respondents favoured seeking a match for Wandsworth with Steglitz-Zehlendorf, a mixed but often leafy patch of south-western Berlin.
Turning to Wandsworth’s neighbour borough of Merton, we propose the following twinning options in our survey:
- Rudolfsheim-Fuenfhaus, Austria – the 15th municipal District of Vienna. The district is originally named after the Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria, but grew significantly in the 19th century to the extent that it was incorporated, along with nearby communities Fünfhaus and Sechshaus, into Vienna proper in 1890. The borough is a predominantly residential area, with currently around 65,000 inhabitants. It also contains the Wiener Stadthalle which hosts the Vienna Open tennis tournament.
- Ferencváros, Hungary – the 9th district of Budapest. This southern suburb was named after King Francis I when he was crowned king of Hungary. The development of the borough began in the late 18th century. Mainly due to large-scale housing redevelopment and ensuing gentrification in the past 15 years, Ferencváros has become one of the most attractive districts of Budapest. Thanks to the large amount of greenery, the area has healthy outdoor spaces unequalled in central Pest. According to the last census, Ferencváros has a population is 60,323.
- Nové Mesto, Slovakia – a borough of Bratislava located north and north-east of its Old Town. The area of Nové Mesto became part of the city in the late 18th century and more urbanized in the 20th century. Nonetheless, around half of the borough is covered by the Bratislava Forest Park. It also hosts the National Tennis Centre. According to the latest census, Nové Mesto has 43,600 inhabitants
In our subsquent survey there was roughly equal interest in two potential partners with tennis connections, the Rudolfsheim-Fünfhaus district of Vienna and Nove Mesto in Bratislava.
But there was also appetite for developing links closer to home, with partners in Paris, Brussels, or perhaps seeking to revive our connection with Schiedam in the Netherlands. Our members understand it will require energy to get a twinning off the ground, for either borough, and commitment to keep it active; but the interest is definitely there!
European Movement in Wandsworth and Merton 
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