The City of Radevormwald

Radevormwald is a town of about 26.000 inhabitants in the Federal Republic of Germany. It is situated in the Land North Rhine – Westphalia and there in the administrative district of Cologne, in the county of Oberberg.

Since January 2002 Radevormwald is also a place where the World Health Organization – WHO Europe wants to demonstrate how health promotion can be put into practice.

In 2001 the Johanniter Institution Radevormwald contacted the WHO Europe and Radevormwald was chosen as one of 4 European regions and cities where a demonstration within the programme of Active Ageing will take place.

Radevormwald is a small but lively town with an active social live in clubs and associations. Only in the sports clubs there are more than 1700 people organized. And 935 of the members are age 60 and over.

The number of people over 60 in Radevormwald amounts to approx. 6500. With the project Healthy and Active Ageing we want to approach around 300 to 400 of them.

From October 2002 on the so-called advocates will visit those older citizens and will counsel the so-called clients on how to lead a healthy and active life and to maintain independence as long as possible.

In Radevormwald there exists already a network of social competence. And since March 2002 social and health providers, health insurance agencies, seniors’ institutions and various associations and clubs work together in a Local Working Group to implement the project successfully.

They all want to improve the already existing services by networking and better adaption to the needs of the older people.

All partners in the Healthy and Active Ageing project want to support and encourage the older citizens in Radevormwald to stay or become active and live healthier and therefore better.