Commemoration of Polish anniversaries

The Polish Ambassador has been visiting Ealing and spoke to pupils at St Augustine’s Priory.

Witold Sobków visited the girls’ school to commemorate three important anniversaries in Polish history; 25 years since the collapse of communism, the 15th anniversary of Polish membership of NATO and the 10th anniversary of Polish accession to the European Union.

Guests included Stephen Pound, MP for Ealing North, Angie Bray, MP for Ealing Central and Acton, and Prince John Zylinski.

Speaking after the event, Mr Sobków, said:

“I was very pleased to attend the event at St Augustine's Priory. On the one hand, I could see how Polish Diaspora is well integrated within the British society in Ealing. On the other hand, I was impressed to see how teachers from St Augustine's Priory and Polish parents care about maintaining the awareness of Polish roots among many girls attending the school.”

Headteacher of St Augustine’s Priory, Sarah Raffray says:

“We were thrilled to see so many members of the Polish community attend Mr Sobków’s address last night. There is a very large Polish community in Ealing, and as a Catholic school with a reputation for excellent pastoral care and excellent academic results, there is great synergy in the values we share with this family-oriented, Catholic community.

“Mr Sobków summed up the importance of reflecting on history in order to strengthen our future, perfectly; the past matters, especially as we prepare young people for the role they will play in the future of Europe. We were honoured that the Ambassador was able to attend the event and to speak to our girls about the three important anniversaries that Poland has been celebrating this year. I have no doubt that it enriched the lives of all of our students, regardless of their nationality”.

21st May 2014