Polish Heart, Local Soul

We are proud and excited to share that our new community project, Polish Heart, Local Soul, has been awarded funding by the National Lottery Community Fund.

This support allows us to deliver a year-long programme dedicated to strengthening the Polish community in Peterborough through music, wellbeing, and cultural connection. The project was shaped directly by the voices of local Polish families and responds to a clear need for early years bilingual support and inclusive community spaces.

💛 What is Polish Heart, Local Soul?

The project brings together two weekly activity strands, both free and open to the Polish community:

🎶 Polish Mum and Baby Music Classes (pregnancy – age 3)Weekly Polish-language sessions using songs, nursery rhymes, rhythm games, movement, and sensory play. These classes support early bilingual language development, strengthen parent–child bonding, and offer mothers a safe, familiar space to connect and reduce social isolation.

☕ Wellbeing Cultural Café (all ages)A welcoming, intergenerational space with a rotating monthly programme:

• Week 1: Arts and Crafts

• Week 2: Gentle Fitness or Yoga

• Week 3: Storytelling and Conversation

• Week 4: Music and Song with local Polish artists

The café supports mental wellbeing, reduces loneliness, and encourages meaningful cultural exchange across generations.

🌱 Why this matters

Peterborough is home to one of the UK’s largest Polish communities, yet many families told us they struggle to find:

• support for Polish language development before school age

• culturally familiar wellbeing activities

• shared spaces where different generations can meet and connect

This project directly addresses those gaps. By offering regular, accessible activities, we aim to build stronger relationships, support children’s early development, and improve wellbeing for individuals and families facing social isolation and cost-of-living pressures.

🤝 Community-led and community-shaped

Polish Heart, Local Soul is rooted in extensive consultation with local residents, including Polish parents, older community members, and families who told us clearly: they want more opportunities to come together, in Polish, in a welcoming and supportive environment.

Over the next year, we expect around 40 participants each week and will continue listening, learning, and adapting the programme based on feedback, conversations, and shared stories.

🌍 Thank you

We are incredibly grateful to the National Lottery players whose support makes this project possible. This funding is not just an investment in activities—it is an investment in connection, wellbeing, culture, and community resilience.

We can’t wait to begin this journey together 💛Follow our website and social media for session dates, times, and ways to get involved.