LCA POLISH LANGUAGE, CULTURE, AND AFFAIRS TRUSTEE'S ANNUAL REPORT 2022-2023 NIC107785
Contents: l. Introduction 2. Year 2021-2022 3. Year 2022-2023 4. Events and celebrations 5. POLCA Board 6. Supporting Organizations 7. Future plans and projects 8. Finances
l.Introduction The Polish Language, Culture, and Affairs is a constituted organisation created bythe Polish emigrants. We are registered Charity INIC107785) and company Itd recognized by Companies House. We do run Polish Saturday school POLCA for children from Polish families or mixed relationships. Our School is to provide an additional Polish education: Polish language. history. geography of Poland. art, and culture. We do have a team of teachers and assistants and several volunteers, including Board members. Polish Saturday school started in 2017 and it is our main project. As an organisation we do support Polish community in Northern Ireland at many different field5. We are also cooperating with the local organi5ations and bodies, working as a part of rnulti-cultural Belfast. 2. Year 2021- 2022 We have started in September 2021 with over 150 pupils. Due covid restrictions and agreement taken between POLCA and our partner Harding Memorial Primary we were obliged to not exceed this number of attending children. to avoid risk of spreading the virus. This unfortunately was the reason why we could not accept more applicants, however, when the restrictions were lifted, we could bring more young people to our organisation. In September 2022, the number of our pupi15 reached 170 and we can expect that the next season can be even higher, as the Polish emigrant community is one of the largest in Northern Ireland. Even though many Poles are permanently settled in UK and Ireland and coexisting with the local communities, they are strongly interested to cultivate Polish language, culture, and art. The Polish community want our children to be able Speak Polish language and gain an acknowledge about our country of origin, also because many of our families are existing in Poland. Due the number of the children we had to increase a number of teachers and assistant- it was 20-22 people working for Saturday school. We also allocated several young volunteer5- mostly teenagers to every class. Some of these young people attended to POLCA xhool in the past. During this year we faced several different nature problems, starting with post-brexit reality and financial difficultie5 of group of our parents. Another significant matter was an unprovoked Russian aggression to Ukraine, Poland's neighbour, and the country whose history and roots are related to th Poland. To show our support to the fighting Ukrainians we have organised on 5 of March 2022 collection for Ukraine, in cooperation with Polish Consulate and Harding Memorial Primary. We have received a great response not only from Polish community but also from many other Belfast people, among them many residents of Cregagh road area. 3. Year 2022-2023 We have started a newschool season in September 2022 with 170 pupils and 22 teachers. The number of our young participants was changing during a year, as some of our pupils were leaving school for different reasons-moving area, or leaving UK for Poland, however we still had a number of new
applicants. That allowed us to keep the same number of children, howeverwe are aware, that with so many new applications we need to consider an opening of another unit in the future. Usual number of activities has been provided during a year, with a few new events. In October 2022 we have restarted POLCA Sport Club Programme, as a promotion of the physical activity is one of our priorities. Again, we had several of the young (mostly teenagers) volunteers, who have been allocated to all classes. In March 2023 POLCA has been granted 3 membership bythe Education Authority in Northern Ireland, as we have met crvteria of Youth Club requested by EA. In April 2023 POLCA hosted Cross Cultural Polish Academy- a conference dedicated various aspects of education for Polish community abroad. Several workshops and lectures were held and a number of teachers from various Polish Saturday schools and organization participated in this event. Cross Cultural Polish Academy was organised in cooperation with ORPEG- Institute for Development of Polish Education Abroad- a Polish government organization supporting Polish education abroad. In June 2023 POLCA has been visited by the representants of Armenian Foundation, who provided several workshops and lectures for our children and teachers, regardin8 history of this well settled in Poland community, history of the Polish-soviet war 1920 and...the historical board and card games, created by the young Polish teachers for the children and youth. These games are based on Polish history and acknowledge of some aspects and facts of the history is necessary to participate in that sort of activity. We have closed the season with the great Children's Day- an event with several activities, workshop5 and sport competitions for our children and parent5. This took place on the ground and in the hall of Malone Rugby Club, who kindly granted as an access to their facilities. Season 2023-24 has started in September, with the same numberof pupils {around 170) and teachers (22) and these numbers have not changed until December 2023. 4. Events and celebrations Carnival Ball for POLCA children- 1110212023 A great costume party with several games and competition5 organised by the teachers and parents in cooperations With other local organizations. Cross Cultural Polish Academy- 21104/2023 A conference for Polish teachers from Polish Saturday Schools in Northern Ireland, hosted by POLCA, organised in cooperation with ORPEG-Institute for Development of Polish Education Abroad, in relation to important aspects of Polish education abroad. Constitution of the 3rd May Day- 06/0512023 Organised in cooperation of the Polish Consulate, in memory of the first Polish Constitution, also known as Constitution of the 3 May 1791. This is one of the most important national celebrations in Poland. Our children could participate in workshops, games and competitions and learn about Polish history.
Children's Day- 0310612023 An event held by POLCA every year in Malone Rugby Club-games and competitions for the children and parents including football tournament and art competitions with over 200 participants. It was organised with support of the Polish Consulate, local Polish businesses and- most important- by the parents of our pupils. 'Put the belt onl"_10/06/2023 An event organised in cooperation with the Armenian Foundation- games, workshops and lectures related to the Polish -Lithuanian Commonwealth history, Polish-soviet war 1920, and a history of Armenian Community in Poland End of School Year-24/06/2023 A ceremony of the end of school year- a great meeting of teachers, children, and parents. Children have been awarded fortheir hard work during this year and the parent could accompany them during the event. 3 Years Old Admlsslon Ceremony- 0711012023 ' An official ceremony of "acceptance" dedicated to the youngest group in presence of their parents. This ceremony is usually organised once a year in October, to create a bond between the school and new pupils. Polish Independence Day 11 November- 12/11/2023 ' A celebration in memory of the Independence of Poland, regained on 11/11/ 1918, after 123 years of Russian, Prussian, and Austrian occupation. This day 15 one of more important for our community. A variety of different activities were provided, including poetry tournament, history workshops and art competitions. As usual a group of our pupils and teachers have visited Milltown Cemetery to commemorate the Polish Militarygraves. Groups of eldest pupils visited an Ulster Aviation Association in Lisburn- to have an opportunity to see all gathered planes and other equipment in UAA hall, a part of the exhibition in this place 15 dedicated to Polish Pilots fighting in UK during the11 World War. This trip was organised with significant help of For Your Freedorn & Ours- an organisation promoting Polish military men history in UK. "Dictation competition" 02112/2023 A Polish Lan8uage exercise competition held by the Polish Saturday School in Newry. A group of our pupils travelled to Newry to participate in the Language competition with the great success, wining some awards. Christmas in POLCA - 16112/2023 ' A celebration known also as "Jaselka" one of the Polish traditions celebrated with Christmas songs and performances created by our pupils, with-of course- Santa's visit! This yearan event took place in Willowfield Parish Hall-thanks to generosity of Willowfield Parish Community of Woodstock Road Belfast Similar events were organised in the past seasons
- POLCA current Board Chairman- rev David Samuel Armstrong Reappointed for furtherterm at the Annual General Meeting on 13101/2024. Secretary- Aleksander Paprocki Reappointed for further term at the AGM on 1310112024. Trustee- Mateusz Gawlik Reappointed for further term at the Annual General Meeting on 13/01/2024. Trustee- John Cieslik Reappointed for further term at the AGM on 1310V2024. Former Trustees". Trustee- Jacek Kocorl- passed away on 18/08/2022. Trustee- Przemyslaw Straus- temporary member from 2510812022 to 1910812022. 6.Supportlng Organizations Durin8 financial year 2022-2023, POLCA was supported by: Aid the Poles in the East Foundatlon Polish Foundation supporting Polish community abroad in cooperation with Polish government. Armenlan Foundatlon An organisation of Polish Armenians- a community settled in Poland since XVI century-bonded with Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and Republic of Poland ORPEG- Institute for Development of Polish Education Abroad A Polish government body sUPPOrting Polish Education abroad Youth Action This body usually provides access Nl check5 for POLCA, as our organisation has YA membership Belfast City Council Belfast City Council supported POLCA Sport Club in the season 2022-2023- fund received helped us to cover part of expenses for the club activty and enabled us to pay an additional sport equipment.
Education Authorlty Northern Ireland POLCA has been granted a membership of EA as a body meeting criteria of EA Youth Club Polish Consulate in Belfast Polish Consulate in Belfast 5UPPOrting various projectsdedicated to development of Polish community in Northern Ireland in cooperation with Polish Authorities. For Your Freedom & Ours An organisation promoting Polish Military Men, fighting during11 World War based in UK. In the past POLCA was also supported by: Wspolnota Polska Foundation, Community Foundation for Northern Ireland, Volunteer Now, Halifax Foundation and Black Asian Minority Ethnics. 7. Future plans and projects At the beginning of POLCA our members recognised that to develop the organization POLCA must operate at many different fields. We had many plans- Some of them have been implemented, start of the other was delayed due different reasons. Failure of some other programs was caused by the number of unpredictable factors: covid 19, Brexit, war in Ukraine. The other reason, why we could not run planned in the past projects is lack of permanent sources of funding, as we cannot operate depending only on membership fees orgrants. As we also have lost some fundin8 sources {Wspolnota Polska Foundation} the Board of POLCA decided to concentrate on the Saturday school as our priority project. However, the growing number of pupi15 and a need to provide another form of activities for pupils leaving the school (teenagers Il+) means that we will have to consider new plan5 and opportunities in the future. 8.FInan (0110612022- 3110512023) Total incomes: 68176 Total expenses: 69880 Net profit/loss: _ 1704 All other figures can be found in POLCA Microentity Accounts for 31105/2023. This report was created by the secretary of the Board. Aleksander Paprocki On behalf of ard