Polish Social and Cultural Association

The POSK building in Hammersmith.

The Polski Ośrodek Społeczno-Kulturalny (POSK) is the Polish Social and Cultural Association in London. It was founded and funded in 1967, at the initiative of Polish engineer Roman Wajda, at 238-246 King Street, Hammersmith where Poles who had escaped the occupation of their country congregated in west London.^[1]

POSK promotes Polish culture and art. It houses the Library of Poland in London, which was founded in 1942, exhibitions, film screenings, theatre performances and a regular jazz club. There is also a Polish cafe and a restaurant.

Numerous Polish organizations are hosted within the building, including:

• Zjednoczenie Polskie w Wielkiej Brytanii - ZPWB (The Federation of Poles in Great Britain - the largest Polish organisation in Britain which itself hosts a number of other organisations)
• Instytut Józefa Piłsudskiego (J. Piłsudski Institute in London)
• Polish University Abroad - PUNO
• Polskie Towarzystwo Naukowe na Obczyźnie - PTNO (Polish Society of Arts and Sciences Abroad)
• Stowarzyszenie Polskich Kombatantów - SPK (Polish Combatants Association)

The original membership fee was £10 but this was updated in 2008 by the new President, Ewa Brzeska.^[2]

On 26 June 2016, in the wake of the Brexit referendum, the office was vandalized with a racist graffiti.^{[3] [4]}

References

External links

• The POSK official website
• The official website of The Federation of Poles in Great Britain
• J Piłsudski Museum website
• The Polish University Abroad in London
• The Polskie Towarzystwo Naukowe na Obczyźnie website (in Polish)
• The Stowarzyszenie Polskich Kombatantów website (in Polish)

Coordinates: 51°29′36″N 0°14′15″W / 51.49333°N 0.23750°W / 51.49333; -0.23750