Exterior artwork required for Ilford Park Polish Home

Ilford Park Polish Home provides residential and nursing care to former members of the Polish Forces under British command in World War 2, and their spouses.

The war years and Winston Churchill’s promise

After World War 2 the majority of Polish troops who had fought under British Command were unable to return to a Poland now under Soviet influence and control. Many feared being taken as political prisoners.

Due to their immense contribution to the war efforts, the Poles were seen in Whitehall and the wider community as deserving of special support and assistance. Churchill singled the Poles out as ‘special’ when in a House of Commons speech, he declared that:

“Her Majesty’s government will never forget the debt they owe to the Polish troops who have served them so valiantly and for all those who have fought under our command…”

(As cited in Tony Kushner and Katherine Knox. Refugees in an Age of Genocide. 1999)

What Ilford Park Polish Home are looking for

At the front of the building there is a seating area and aviary with cockatiels in, that the residents / families and staff use during the summer. Until recently there was some art that was donated by a local college when it was first setup. It had a coffee (Kawa) / tea (Herbata) theme but, as you can see from the photos it has weathered badly and has now been removed to allow for the building to be painted. I am looking to put some fresh artwork up to make the area more complete and welcoming to all that use it.

Due to the fact that I am from Plymouth, and that Plymouth is twinned with the city of Gdynia in Poland (it also happens to be a day space name in the home, as well as Warsaw / Wrocław / Katowice / Zakopane), I thought it would be nice to express this somehow within the art. As it is an outdoor area, it would need to be able to withstand the weather and last as long as possible.

I have a budget of around £100 and would like several small or a couple of large pieces to put up, and while there is no urgent need for them, as soon as possible would be great. I have attached some photos of how it looked but, if you would like to view the area that they are going this can be arranged, so please feel free to contact me.

Interested in being considered for this opportunity?  Contact Sarah Holcombe by email to sholcombe@pca.ac.uk before Friday 8th November.