Edinburgh Conference
On November 28-29 2009, representatives of Barka UK: Lech Bor and Ewa Sadowska participated in the conference entitled: “Experiences of developing Polish communities in the UK” at the invitation of United Polish Falkirk (UPF). The conference was held in Falkirk in Edinburgh.
The meeting was attended by more than 50 people from twenty-Polish organizations from across the UK. Consul General in Edinburgh was also present , Dr. Thomas Trafas, Scottish Justice Minister Kenny MacAskill and the Mayor of Falkirk.
In his speech, Minister Kenny MacAskill said the history of Polish-Scottish friendship started in the seventeenth century, when large numbers of Scots emigrated to Poland.
Ewa Sadowska, and Lech Bor had 40-minute presentation of programs for inclusion in Barka in Poland and Barka in Great Britain.
On Monday, November 30 Lech and Ewa participated in a meeting with representatives of the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh and local organizations that work with citizens of the A10 countries in Edinburgh and Glasgow, were also invited by the Consul General in Scotland on the follow-up meeting at the Polish Embassy. Issues were related to problems of the citizens of Central and Eastern Europe countries in Scotland (40% of homeless people on the streets of Edinburgh are the Poles) and the start of programs for the integration of migrants in Scotland (similar to public private partnerships developed by the Barka UK in London).
Minister of Justice Kenny MacAskill has expressed willingness to cooperate with the Barka’s program to support a network of A10 migrants in Scotland.
Representatives list:
Organizations | Place | Surname | |
United Polish Falkirk | Falkirk | Robert Starzynski | glospoloniiwfalkirk@yahoo.co.uk |
Polish Association Northern Ireland PANI | Belfast | Maciej Bator | maciek@polskibelfast.pl |
Poland Street | London | Joanna Ba k | j.bak@polandstreet.org.uk |
Merseyside Polonia | Liverpool | Gosia McKane | info@merseysidepolonia.com |
Polish Union in Great Britain | London | Magorzata Sztuka | gosia.sztuka@btinternet.com |
International Community Organisation of Sunderland | Sunderland | Daniel Krzyszczak | krzyszczak@yahoo.co.uk |
Perth Polish Support Group | Perth | Renata Fraser | RenataFraser@pkc.gov.uk |
Polteam Perth | Perth | Krzysztof Weyer | krzysztof_weyer@o2.co.uk |
Polish association in Stirling | Stirling | Tadeusz Sinica | tadeuszsinica@googlemail.com |
Barka UK | London | Ewa Sadowska | ewa.sadowska@gmail.com |
S.O.S Polonia Trust | Southampton | Barbara Storey | barbara@lingland.net |
SPK Leicester | Leicester | Jacek Grygier | grygier@hotmail.co.uk |
Polonia Nottingham | Nottingham | Mariusz Laskiewicz | mario694@o2.pl |
Inverness Polish Association | Inverness | Zofia Fraser | zosia.fraser@googlemail.com |
Glasgow University Polish Society | Glasgow | Pawe Lojko | president@gupolsoc.org |