Why are there so many Poles in Waltham Forest?
This was the question that gave birth to From Poland to Waltham Forest. The obvious answer is that Poland joined the EU in 2004, but it doesn’t explain why so many ended up in Waltham Forest.
Our instincts were that many came because of connections to previous waves. From our small sample of oral histories, we found some links, but largely it remained random. Polish people are here today for a diverse range of reasons, and no two stories are the same.
Too often politicians and the media lump migrants together as one homogenous group. It’s ludicrous to do so. Not only do they span different countries and continents, but even those from the same geographical area have a myriad of reasons for being here.
This is a heritage project, not a political one. Yet a key learning point is that Britain, and indeed Waltham Forest, is what it is today because of the contributions of migrants. They’ve founded quintessentially British institutions like Tesco and M&S, helped win wars and been our friends and neighbours. For many they are also grandparents, great grandparents and beyond.
From Poland to Waltham Forest is a project by Share UK, a non-profit community group based in Walthamstow. It would not have been possible without the generous support of the Heritage Lottery Fund, or the hard work of our team of dedicated volunteers.
We’d also like to thank:
Project manager: Esther Freeman
Web developer: Bronwyn Goodwin
Photographer and exhibition curator: Mark Burton
Researchers: Jane Greenstock and Karen Aveby
Film maker: Kate Hampel
Audio and video editors: Tony Graynoth and Dave O’Neill
Oral History trainers: Rib Davis and Roger Kitchen
Thanks also goes to our oral history interviewees, whose stories have educated, inspired and fascinated us; the museum archivists who’ve helped our research, including Vestry House Museum, Bruce Castle Museum, the Jewish Museum, the Sikorski Museum and London Metropolitan Archives; everyone at The Mill who hosted our numerous meetings and training sessions; Cllr Clare Coghill for connecting us with so many brilliant members of the Polish community; and Claire Witney at Waltham Forest Council for supporting the project in its earliest days.
