Over the last 18months, funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, the Penley Polish Heritage Project has been retracing the roots of those whose families made harrowing journeys to safety after the second world war, capturing some of the unique history and heritage. The project closed with a pop-up exhibition and consultation event, celebrating the arrival and settlement of the Penley Polish community during World War Two.
The project has attracted the attention of the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Manchester as well as an international community including Christine Halpert who travelled from Canada to retrace her roots.
The temporary exhibition welcomed more than 100 people to their pop-up exhibition which took place on Friday 21st March at St Mary Magdalene Church in Penley including Consul Radosław Gromski, representative from the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Manchester. The exhibition shared the journey of the project to date, exploring the unique history of Penley and its surrounding villages after the Second World War and the arrival and resettlement of the Polish soldiers and their families.
Rainbow Foundation Project Officer Rebecca Griffiths is third generation Polish and grew up in Penley within a Polish/Welsh family. She says:
“My grandfather Jan Glaz was from Eastern Poland and was uprooted from his home by Stalin’s forces. Aged 18, he was able to join the newly formed Polish II Corps which joined the allied forces under British command fighting in Iran, Iraq and Monte Cassino. After the war he was resettled in Penley where he met my Nanna, Helena, who had also been displaced”.
Much of Rebecca’s childhood was spent with her grandparents on the Penley camp and in the old Polish hospital, where they both worked. She adds: “I feel very privileged to have grown up in such a unique community. We celebrated both Polish and British traditions. That’s why this project has been so important to me. As I want to ensure the history of this amazing community is remembered and celebrated.”
Funded via the UK Shared Prosperity Fund up until 31st March 2025, this project has consisted of a history group who has looked at gathering information around life on the camp. They have worked to ensure that although the population of Penley has changed since WW2, the stories and memories are not lost from what was once a large and thriving Polish community.
Rebecca hopes that the interest and momentum that has been built around this project will help the Rainbow Foundation attract funding to establish a new project to launch the walking tour and bring visitor from around the world to Penley. She adds: “There is so much more that we need to do. We’ve only been able to scratch the surface so far but there are so many more stories to be unlocked in our community and Penley’s history needs a permanent location so that we can ensure that future generations do not forget this amazing story.”
If you want to learn more about the Penley Polish Heritage Project or would like to get involved, please contact Rebecca at rebecca.griffiths@therainbowfoundation.org.uk
