Our Chief Executive, Declan Baharini and Chair, Professor Jon Reast, were guests of the German Ambassador to the UK, Miguel Berger’s German-British Friendship Award event at the German Embassy last week. The Ambassador presented Declan with the ‘Network Champion for German’ award, “in recognition of exceptional dedication to making the case for German by leading the building of networks and setting standards of excellence in the teaching of German in the UK, thereby nurturing German-British relations and strengthening the bonds of friendship between our two nations.”
Pictured: Catherine McKinnell MP (Newcastle North) and Minister for School Standards, Declan Baharini and Ambassador Miguel Berger
“I felt very honoured to be one of the first recipients of the Network Champion Award. German is such an important language for the UK, not only to enhance our historic social and cultural ties, but also to improve our economic and political relations. Germany is Europe’s largest economy, the UK’s most important trading partner and the political powerhouse of the EU.
Speaking German and having the intercultural, communications and wider employability skills that come with learning another language can open doors to career opportunities for young people.”
Declan Baharini, CEO, International Newcastle
Presenting to 200 guests at the Embassy, Declan shared how International Newcastle, Newcastle City Council and the partnerships supporting Newcastle City of Languages and Express Yourself: North East Festival of Languages, have consistently promoted German language learning and links with Germany:
- Sharing German language opportunities and teaching resources through our language teacher networks
- Promoting links with German schools to support language learning
- Piloting new approaches to introducing German with Goethe Institut
- Promoting German after school clubs
- Supporting schools’ links with our twin city of Gelsenkirchen and promoting virtual collaboration
- Helping schools to access Turing and UKGC funding to support school visits
- Liaising with British-German Association North East to promote links with Germany
- As part of Express Yourself North East Festival of Languages 2025, including a wide range of events and activities around German language and culture, as well as resources to support German in schools (click here to see the German programme)
English Martyrs Catholic Primary School has had an ongoing collaboration with Regenbogenschule in Newcastle’s twin city of Gelsenkirchen, with staff exchanges, pupils working together virtually and visiting in 2025. Live Youth Theatre have worked with a drama group from Leibniz Gymnasium to create new theatre pieces and the school visited Newcastle. Pupils from Walker Riverside Academy attended the Euros in Gelsenkirchen last year.
We are currently working with St Mary’s Catholic High School to introduce German clubs, teaching resources and upskill teachers through the Goethe Institut’s GIMAGINE programme.
We continue to promote schools’ links with Gelsenkirchen (find out more here)and can support schools with introducing German clubs and language teaching. Contact sarah.edgar@newcastle.gov.uk
Working with partners across the UK is an important part of supporting German and German links. The event included an exhibition of support for German from key organisations including British Council, Goethe Institut, British-German Association, UK German Connection, Germany Travel and DAAD (supporting students to live and study abroad).
The other award recipients shared how they are supporting German in their areas and inspiring children and young people to progress with the language. Pictured (left to right) with Schools Minister Catherine McKinnell MP, Ambassador Miguel Berger and Declan are:
- Professor Katrin Kohl, Professor of German, University of Oxford supporting the Oxford German Network and Olympiad for Schools
- David Stalley, Director, Langton Language Centre, Canterbury
- Bernadette Holmes, Director, National Consortium of Language Learning
- Dr Charlotte Schulze, Chair, The Association for German Saturday Schools, operating across the UK, including in Newcastle and Durham
- Rebecca Britti, Co-Lead, Solent Language Hub and Admiral Lord Nelson School, Portsmouth