Town twinning

We have twinning and friendship arrangements with:

• Saint-Mande, Paris, France
• Wandsbek, Hamburg, Germany
• St Johns in Antigua & Barbuda
• Roseau in Dominica
• Mirpur, Pakistan

Saint-Mandé, Paris, France

Waltham Forest has had links with Saint-Mandé since April 1956, when the twinning declaration was signed. In 1996, we marked the 40th anniversary of "The Jumelage" (Twinning) in 1996 with an official council visit.

There are regular exchanges between Highams Park School and College Offenbach, while visually impaired students from Saint-Mane have visited Joseph Clarke School.

Wandsbek, Hamburg, Germany

Waltham Forest was twinned with Wandsbek, Hamburg to ‘mend the wounds of war’ over 70 years ago. There have since been many cultural exchanges including our councillors and the Mayor.

The association was started in 1949 by Elsie Pracey in Leyton. Wandsbek was recommended by Reginald William Sorensen, Baron Sorensen, a former Leyton MP, as a similar town to Leyton.

Antigua & Barbuda and Dominica Twinning Association

The Twinning Association was the idea of Dominican born Franklyn Georges, who became our first African-Caribbean Mayor in 1990/91. After first being discussed in 1992, the Town Twinning Declarations were signed in April 1999.

The Mayor of Waltham Forest is patron of the Twinning Association. It aims to promote friendship, information exchange and mutual understanding between the linked areas.

To find out more, visit the Twinning Association website

Mirpur, Pakistan

Waltham Forest has a Friendship Treaty with the Municipality of Mirpur in Azad Kashmir. The borough is home to one of the largest Pakistani communities in London, and many local people have links to Mirpur.