Charitable work of the London foundation Friends of Poland 1982-2009

Abstract

The imposition of martial law by the Communist authorities in Poland on 13 De­cember 1981 and the slump in the economic situation of Polish families stimulated Polish emigration circles and well-known persons in the English public life to organize charitable aid for Poland. At the beginning of 1982 the organization Friends of Poland was established. The aid it organized reached most of the main Polish cities until the Communist system collapsed, and then the democratic Poland. After 1990 the work of the organization was mostly re-directed to aiding Poles living in countries that became independent after the Soviet Union was dissolved.