Polish parish form a social and cultural centre for Poles in UK

The Leeds parish offers a centre to bring together those of Polish decent or origin (and people with Polish interests), not only to fulfil their spiritual but also their social needs. This has become much more necessary since Poland joined the European Union and the numbers in the parish have increased significantly – says Zygmunt Green, volunteer in the Polish community in an interview with Brin Best.

How do you contribute to the Polish community in the UK?

“On moving to Leeds permanently in 2003, I was asked to become chairman of the local Polish Catholic Parish Council and continued in this role until 2012, when I became its treasurer. As chairman of the Parish Council, I was part of the team which oversees the day-to-day running of the parish. This includes our own church, the parish buildings and surrounding land, which were bought and built by the post-war Polish immigrants with their hard-earned money. It is an honour to continue this legacy.

The parish offers a centre to bring together those of Polish decent or origin (and people with Polish interests), not only to fulfil their spiritual but also their social needs. This has become much more necessary since Poland joined the European Union and the numbers in the parish have increased significantly. This can be seen in the Polish Saturday School, where the total number of children has steadily increased from 50 to over 250 in recent years.

Currently as treasurer, I’m responsible for the financial administration of the parish so it continues to thrive. I’m inspired to continue working for the community by my beautiful daughters, so that they can benefit from their Polish heritage. I was always taught the value of my dual heritage and in particular to be proud of my Polish background. Even though my father is English and my mother was not born in Poland (but had Polish parents), I do have a strong Polish identity – for example, I was and still am in the Polish Scouts rather than the English equivalent.

From birth my brother and I attended Polish church services with both my parents. We were both altar boys and at the age of ten I started playing the church organ for Polish masses. I still play the organ on a Sunday in Leeds and for special occasions.

It is important for my wife and I that our children have the opportunity to benefit from being bilingual and be proud of their Polish heritage. This is why my wife and I support the Leeds Polish Saturday School by helping run the school, of which I’m treasurer. I believe strongly that children with Polish heritage should be taught to speak Polish, and it saddens me when they do not have this opportunity. At school, children are taught German, French or Spanish, so why shouldn’t they be taught their mother tongue? When living within a Polish family, children who speak Polish at home often have the advantage that their spoken Polish is far superior to those who are taught a foreign tongue as a second language. So why are such children not supported to achieve a relevant qualification in school? Those who speak Polish at home are often not taught to write and read in the language, and so are disadvantaged if they do not attend the Polish Saturday School.

I’m also a trustee of the Polish Catholic Mission in England and Wales. This role involves responsibility for the administration and governance of the Polish Catholic Mission, which is the overseeing administration for all Polish parishes in England and Wales. Finally, I’m a Scout leader and help run summer camps for Brownies and Beavers where Polish is the language spoken. These camps have a variety of themes, which in recent years have included ‘The History of Poland’, ‘The Olympics’ and ‘Under the Sea’. Such camps are important because they bring children together and allow them to learn through play.”

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This interview was carried out as part of the ‘Poles in the UK’ project, and was first published in the book Poles in the UK: A Story of Friendship and Cooperation (by Brin Best & Maria Helena Żukowska, 2016).

You can download a free eBook PDF version of the publication from www.polesintheuk.net