70th Town Twinning anniversary creates new sporting opportunities
Inverness Councillors have recognised the commitment and long term work of the Inverness Town Twinning Committee at a meeting of the City of Inverness Area Committee and welcomed a new initiative that will create opportunities for sports people in Inverness.
Leader of Inverness and Area Cllr Ian Brown said: “The twinning partnerships with Augsburg in Germany, and St Valery and La Baule in France have brought immense cultural and economic value to Inverness over the years.
“We thank the Inverness Town Twinning Committee for their hard work in support of the twinning arrangements, which are fully funded by the Inverness Common Good Fund and I am very pleased that Members have endorsed the continued varied and dedicated work of the Committee.
“I’m also delighted to see new opportunities being created through our twinning arrangements for sports representatives in Inverness.”
Provost of Inverness and Area Cllr Glynis Campbell Sinclair added: “Supported by the Inverness Common Good Fund, this year we mark a major milestone in our Twinning Partnership with Augsburg as 2026 is the 70th Anniversary of Twinning.
“We will progress ongoing discussions with Augsburg to promote economic links in the Green Hydrogen and Renewable Energy sectors along with UHI Inverness, the University of Augsburg and Highlands and Islands Enterprise.
“Reciprocal visits will take place in May in Augsburg and September in Inverness to mark the 70th anniversary and strengthen the economic and cultural links between the two cities.”
Members noted the objectives of a Hydrogen Working Group set up to:
- build partnerships between academia and industry in Scotland and Bavaria to advance hydrogen technologies; and
- to focus on areas including hydrogen production, storage, transportation, and end-use applications through the Inverness and Augsburg twinning arrangements.
Also planned for the 70th twinning year are exchange visits initiated by the Federation of Sport Clubs in Augsburg which will see 10 employees travel from Bavarian Youth Sport in Augsburg to Inverness in May/ early June with a group of sports people from Inverness returning to Augsburg in late June. The visits will be facilitated and supported by the Town Twinning Committee with assistance from High Life Highland funded by the Inverness Common Good Fund. The aims of the visits are to exchange training methods, giving an insight into how sports training works in each country while connecting volunteers from the two countries.
Darren Reid, Head of Sport and Physical Activity at High Life Highland said: “This is a wonderful opportunity for young people from Inverness who are involved in sport to gain a broader understanding of international clubs and sporting systems. Being part of this sporting exchange to Augsburg is a brilliant chance for young people to be part of something exciting and unique whilst gaining knowledge that will support their personal development and could help enhance the local sporting landscape. We would encourage anyone who is interested to apply.”
Details on eligibility and how to apply for the Inverness – Augsburg sports exchange can be found at: https://www.highland.gov.uk/augsburgsportexchange
This twinning exchange offers opportunities to share best practices in youth sports development and sports governance; and to explore differences and similarities in sports infrastructure, participation, and funding models. The experience will also provide young people with international leadership experiences, and cultural education while reinforcing the civic ties between the cities through meaningful collaboration.
Members endorsed the continued work of the Inverness Town Twinning Committee and Inverness Common Good Funding allocated to the Twinning arrangements for 2026 as set out in the report.