PENRHOS

POLISH Retirement home North Wales 1947

RAF Penrhos was a WW2 RAF airfield west of Pwllheli on the the Llyn Peninsula in North Wales. It was operational from 1^st February 1937 to 21^st October 1946 for armament training, air observer, bombing and gunnery schools. In December 1940 a detachment from no. 312 Czechoslovak Squadron was stationed there to protect Penrhos from German attack.

Following political developments after the war, it became clear that most of those who fought alongside our Western Allies for an independent Poland could not return to their homeland. It was recognised early on that although the overwhelming majority of those who chose to remain in the UK would, in time, integrate into British society; there were those who, because of age or the trauma of war, would have to remain within the comfort and shelter of a Polish community. The Welfare branch of the Polish Resettlement Corps (PRC) together with the Polish Ex-combatants Association (SPK) came to the view that the only way to protect these vulnerable individuals in the longer term was to form a Friendly Society, the sole purpose of which was to establish and run a Polish community in which these people could find a home.

Many Polish societies and associations active at the time joined with SPK to form The Polish Housing Society Limited, run by a management board chaired by the chairman of SPK with representatives from organisations that were party to setting up The Society. The Society quickly identified the sixteen acre RAF Penrhos site, which was already serving as a PRC camp accommodating senior officers of the 2^nd Corps and the General Staff, as ideally suited to fulfil its purpose and negotiated a lease with the Air Ministry.

Many years later the Society purchased the freehold with funds available from the war time Polish Forces Welfare Fund. In time many of the initial founding organisations became moribund and currently the Board of Directors and Members consists of individuals drawn from the Polish community, as well as Penrhos Home tenants, with a variety of professional skills and experience. These directors become principal shareholders and benefactors to the society.

All those living at Penrhos are elderly and retired. The site provides the atmosphere of a “Polish Village”, where residents can maintain their cultural and spiritual traditions whilst receiving the help and support needed to lead independent lives.

When their health deteriorates the care home located on the site provides residential and nursing care.

Wooden huts that become Polish Village

In the early years residents had one room and married couples two rooms allocated to them in the wooden huts all meals were provided in a communal dining hall. the camp had a library, a common room and a shop selling Polish traditional food, there was also a church on site.


Office	Wooden Barack


Club	Bus stop. Residents returning from a shopping trip in Pwllheli


Dwelling Barrack	Dwelling Barrack

CHURCH

As most Polish people and Roman Catholics it was important that they had a place of worship. One of the huts was converted in to a typical little Polish village church with a resident Polish priest providing religious services. Sunday mass, daily services and all the spiritual needs of the elderly people who, exiled from their country clung to their culture and traditions.

Residents and families in front of the Freedom Cross


The little white washed church	Inside the church

The communal dining hall provided not only meals but also companionship


Dinning Hall	Residents enjoying their lunch Dinning Hall

General Anders

Throughout the year the society welcomes many visitors who come for a short respite, enjoy the calm and splendour of the Welsh countryside. With ready access to both the countryside and seaside the Polish Scouting Organisation in the UK occupies a few of the buildings in which it organises weekend meetings and summer camps for young people. These visits enhance the lives of the elderly residents.

Polish Scouting hut

General Anders was a strong supporter of the Penrhos project and a frequent visitor, so much so that the hut where he usually stayed became known as “Andersówka” (Anders’ hut).

In time purpose-built accommodation replaced the military barracks, providing a range of homes for people with differing needs such as sheltered housing, residential care and most recently nursing care.

In later years more modern dwellings were build and the wooden barrack were painted white enhancing the look of the village

Penrhos Home lies in approximately sixteen acres of grounds with a wide variety of trees, shrubs and vegetation surrounding buildings on the site. There are many areas where residents could walk knowing that they are safe within the boundaries of the home.

End of an era

After nearly over 70 years in September 2020 the Polish Housing Society transferred Penrhos Polish Village to ClwydAlyn Housing. Over a period of time, the plan is to replace the existing flimsy construction of the ageing homes and build a range of new homes that will meet high levels of sustainability and energy efficiency, as well as building lifetime homes that support the changing needs of people at different stages of their life.

Executive Director of Development at ClwydAlyn, Craig Sparrow said:- "We are committed to preserving the Polish and Welsh heritage of the site, the existing Church, Freedom Cross and walled garden will be protected. We have actively worked with the Polish Institute and Sikorski Museum to safeguard the historic documents on site and there will be a historical timeline incorporated into the communal area of the new development. This is a long-term development for ClwydAlyn, and we’ll continue to work with partners, Cyngor Gwynedd and Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, as well as residents and the local community to shape future plans".