Mayor of Newark Barbara Corrigan “honoured” to represent town Polish Cultural Foundation presents Newark with "Pro Bono Poloniae" medal in presence of HRH Duke of Kent, Prince Edward, at London ceremony

f.burrows@iliffepublishing.co.uk

Published: 05:00, 05 November 2025

Newark has received special recognition for the support it has continually to show to the people of Poland.

The Mayor of Newark, Barbara Corrigan, was invited by the Polish Cultural Foundation to take part in its 75th anniversary celebrations at the The Rubens Hotel in London.

At the event, Ms Corrigan was presented with the ‘Pro Bono Poloniae’ medal on behalf of the Polish government, given to individuals and institutions that cultivate and popularise independence traditions and knowledge in Poland and abroad — with Newark the only council outside of London to receive this award.

(From left) Faduma Mohamed, Deputy Mayor of London Borough of the Ealing; Philip Corthorne, Mayor of the London Borough of Hillingdon; Barbara Corrigan, Mayor of Newark; HRH Prince Edward, Duke of Kent; Paul Dimoldenberg, Lord Mayor of the City of Westminster; Sharon Holder, of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham; Rosemary Birchall, Deputy Mayor of the London Borough of Wandsworth; and Jason Jackson, Mayor of the London Borough of Islington. Photo: Polish Cultural Foundation.

The medal was awarded to each mayoralty which carries the Polish White Eagle in their regalia.

Newark was presented with the Polish White Eagle in 2022, as a symbol of “enduring friendship” following the repatriations of the Polish Presidents in Exile from Newark Cemetery to Warsaw, after the town dutifully looked after their graves for many decades.

The Mayor said: “I was honoured to represent Newark at the 75th anniversary of the Polish Cultural Foundation at the historic Rubens Hotel in London, where the Polish Government in Exile was located during the second world war.

“The foundation invited all the mayors from councils which have previously been presented with the Polish eagle, to be worn as part of the mayoral chain. Newark is the only council outside of London to have been recognised in this way.

“As part of the celebrations, all the councils with the Polish eagle in their mayoral chains were presented with the Medalem Pro Bono Poloniae, by Lech Parell, head of the Office for War Veterans and Victims of Oppression.

The mayor was also in the presence of royalty, as the event was attended by HRH Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, as well as Professor Piotr Wilczek, the Ambassador of the Republic of Poland to the Court of St. James’s, and representatives of the Polish government and of other Polish organisations in the UK.

“The attendance of HRH The Duke of Kent at the event is a testament to the high regard in which the work of the Polish Cultural Foundation is held,” she said.

“It was a great honour to have been invited to such a prestigious event, and to meet His Royal Highness and the many Polish dignitaries who were in attendance.”

The Polish Cultural Foundation, established in 1950, has played a key role in the life of the Polish community living in the UK for the past for 75 years.

It acts as a publication house for material promoting Polish culture, language, and history, and supports education while actively promoting the integration Polish people into British society.

Human Interest Newark Fionn Burrows