• The City of Aachen and the Stadtsportbund confirm their close cooperation by signing the "Pact for Sport".
• The agreement sets out key areas for further cooperation between the city and the city sports association.
• The pact particularly emphasizes the role of sport as a driver for health, participation, education and social cohesion.

A big step for the future of sport in Aachen: On Thursday, July 3, representatives of the City of Aachen and the Stadtsportbund Aachen e. V. signed the "Pact for Sport" in the White Hall of the Town Hall in the presence of sports politicians.

Mayor Sibylle Keupen emphasized the great social importance of sport: "Sport is the social glue of our urban society. It brings people together - regardless of origin, age, gender or disability - and exemplifies what democracy means in everyday life: fairness, participation and cohesion."

230 sports clubs with 73,000 members

Organized sport in Aachen, with currently around 230 sports clubs and around 73,000 members, plays a key role in the social and cultural life of the city. The city administration and the city sports association have been working hand in hand for years to maintain, strengthen and expand the diversity of sport in Aachen. This endeavor is now also enshrined in the Pact for Sport.

Dr. Markus Kremer, Deputy Mayor for Personnel, Fire Service and Sport, is convinced by the agreement: "I am delighted to be able to send a strong signal about the importance of sport in our city today by signing the Pact for Sport together with the city sports association and the sports policy spokespersons of the parliamentary groups. After all, sport is much more than a purely physical activity. Exercise also strengthens mental well-being." The social effects of sport should not be neglected either: "Sport creates important conditions for learning success, emotional stability and social skills, especially for young people. At the same time, values such as fairness, respect and tolerance can be experienced in a very practical way. Particularly in times of growing social tensions, sport acts as a space for understanding and cohesion and thus as a preventative measure against exclusion and violence."

Focus of the cooperation

The Pact for Sport sets out key areas of cooperation. These are: the contribution of sport to health, democracy, inclusion and integration, education and the communication of values, the prevention of violence and economic development. By signing the agreement, the city administration and the city sports association commit to regular coordination meetings. While the Stadtsportbund Aachen sees itself as a service provider for sports clubs and represents their interests in local politics, the City of Aachen supports the work of the Stadtsportbund with financial subsidies, personnel resources and the provision of municipal sports facilities. The Pact for Sport also places a special focus on the promotion of joint swimming projects as part of the joint swimming initiative.

Björn Jansen, Chairman of the Stadtsportbund Aachen, emphasizes: "Sport is much more than just exercise - it creates community, promotes health, builds personality and shapes togetherness in our city. The Pact for Sport shows how important sports clubs and sporting events are for social life and the attractiveness of Aachen. Together with the City of Aachen, the Lord Mayor and the Head of the Sports Department, we are sending out a strong signal for the future of sport in Aachen."

Many initiatives and cooperation projects between the city administration and the city sports association deliver visible results from which Aachen's sports enthusiasts can benefit. These include the further development of the Soers sports park, joint sports ceremonies and "Sport in the Park".

Comprehensive information on the sports on offer in Aachen can be found on the new sports portal: www.aachen.de/sport