Town twinning

Town twinning enables communities to exchange information about their history, culture and contemporary life-styles. This increases mutual understanding and promotes international friendship.

Ealing has three twinning links:

  • Marcq-en-Baroeul: is situated near Lille in the department (county) of Nord. 
  • Bielany: is one of the 11 districts of the city of Warsaw. 
  • Kreis-Steinfurt: is a rural area (the district of Steinfurt) situated in northern Germany in the county of North Rhine-Westphalia

Why do we have twinning links?

After the Second World War, cities across Europe started developing town twinning links with the objective to promote understanding between nations and support peace across the European continent. 

Although endorsed officially by municipalities, these activities are mainly voluntary and community-led.  They include a broad range of activities such as school exchanges, sports clubs exchanges, civic visits, ceremonial meetings and events.

Since the early 1990s, there has been a general move to modernise twinning activities based on an increasing involvement of local councils.  Councils have started to develop a project-based approach to these international links in order to bring new benefits to their cities and residents beyond the traditional civic and cultural exchange.