Chris Sagan
Chairperson
Chris Sagan joined the Board of Trustees of our Society in 2017 and was elected Chair in 2019. He is a retired Aeronautical Engineer and Mathematics Teacher. Originally from Saltcoats in Ayrshire Chris’s father was Polish and mother Scottish. Chris is married with four grownup children and four grandchildren.
Chris says: “It is a great pleasure serving as the Chair of our Society. Being a part of and active in the growth and development of our Society, investing in its future, and working with everyone to serve the needs and wants of the Polish community of Glasgow and Scotland, is a great privilege, extremely enjoyable, fulfilling and of course worth while.”
Izabela Czekaj
Vice Chairperson
Izabela arrived in the UK in 2005. She is a Medical Doctor and has been working as an Occupational Health Physician in the UK for the past 20 years. She has been a member of our society since 2006, working on the Board since 2008: as a Secretary (3 years), Chairperson (5 years on the Board & 3 years on the Audit Committee) and currently Vice Chairperson. She is also an active member of the Polish Catholic Community in Glasgow, where she has been involved in charity work for Polish Families abroad, supporting Poles in the East (Ukraine, Kazakhstan) and protecting Polonica (mainly Polish soldiers’ graveyards and cemeteries) in Europe, Africa and Asia. She is an active member of the Polish History Club in Scotland. She is one of the founders of the Polish Folk Group ‘Gościniec’ in Glasgow actively promoting Polish traditions, culture, songs and music, folk costumes and dances.
Margot Sagan
Education Lead
Margot Sagan joined the Board of Trustees of our Society in 2018. She is a retired Head Teacher. Margot is married and has 4 children and 4 grandchildren. She was born and raised in Glasgow but has lived in various countries. On returning to Scotland, she became and worked as a Head Teacher in Glasgow for over 12 years. Margot brings her professional knowledge and experience of education to our Society and has taken on the role of Education Lead. Margot has overall responsibility for the Przedszkole, Szkola, Adult Polish language classes and English language classes.
Karol Jarnuczak
Treasurer
As a charity trustee and Treasurer since 2021, Karol oversees the Society’s finances and prepares its bookkeeping. Karol works professionally in the digital services sector, specialising in software engineering, technology transformation, and IT systems integration. He holds a Bachelor’s degree with honours in Applied Computing from the University of Dundee. Karol comes from a Polish family with patriotic traditions. His relatives, including those who served in the Home Army, endured hardships under both the German Nazi occupation and the communist regime. Their stories shape his commitment to promoting Polish heritage through the Society and other projects, with emphasis on the contributions of Poles to Scotland and Europe in the fight “for our freedom and yours”.
Rafał Jasiński
Secretary
Born in Częstochowa, Rafał arrived in UK in September 2005.
In the ‘old country’ Rafał worked as a newspaper journalist and later as an editor. In Scotland he has furthered his education and become a civil engineer, currently working for local government. He is a husband and father of two children.
Rafał always dedicated his time and effort in various volunteering roles, first by saving lives at sea as a RNLI crew member and later as a panel member for Children’s Hearings Scotland.
It is probably my undiagnosed ADHD, but I always had a need in me to give back to the community. My recent role gives me a chance to double it. I now serve both “Polish and Scottish communities” he says. Member since October 2022. Member of the committee from April 2023, took the Secretary role in September 2023.
Kenneth Rybarczyk
Membership Secretary
Kenneth joined the Board of Trustees in 1981 and has been a member of our Society since 1978. His father was Polish and mother Scottish. His early family home was only a few doors along the street from our Society which has always been his second home. He retired from teaching mathematics in 2015 and has since worked part-time as a Senior Invigilator at Glasgow University. He has been the Membership Secretary since 1995 and also looks after our website and mass emails. He has a keen interest in playing pool and currently organises pool related evenings for our members.
Kamil Sznurkowski
Artistic Coordinator
Kamil joined the Board of Trustees of our Society in 2022. He is an architect by education and a practicing artist. Within the Sikorski Polish Club, Kamil founded and led the Sikorski Art Club, developing artistic and cultural activities for our members. After suspending the regular art classes, he has focused on organising key events such as Polish Heritage Day, Independence Day, and the Pool Tournament. Kamil is also responsible for the development of our cultural merchandising projects, including designs inspired by General Maczek, Wojtek the Bear, and other elements of Polish heritage. In his role as Head of Art & Cultural Projects, he brings creativity and energy to promoting the history and culture of our Society.
Violetta Jabari
Polonez
Violetta Skrętowska-Jabari arrived to Scotland from Poland in 2014. She is an accountant and clothing technician by profession. She currently runs a small tailoring business in central Glasgow. Since 2014, she has been active in the Polish community, first in Paisley and then in Glasgow, Scotland. She has participated in numerous cultural projects. Since 2017, she founded and leads the Sikorski Polonez Dance Group, which dances the polonaise in various choreographies and national costumes. The group’s activities are visible in Scotland and internationally at festivals. Each year, she organizes and leads the group’s trips to foreign festivals and prepares them for numerous stage performances in Scotland, where they are enthusiastically received. She actively promotes our national value, the polonaise, and conducts polonaise workshops in Scotland and abroad, providing opportunities for Polish communities and international audiences to learn about Polish culture. She promotes the idea of connecting people through polonaise dancing and creating a positive image of Poland in Scotland and worldwide. Violetta has been a member of our board since 2022.
Ewa Jusis
Seniors Club
Ewa Jusis was born in Poland. She first visited in Glasgow in 2009. She returned to Scotland in 2010 without any English skills and stayed permanently. In Poland, she graduated from agricultural school specializing in gardening.
In Scotland, she further studied and graduated from university with a degree in Accounting. She is working as an account in Glasgow.
She has been volunteering at the Sikorski Senior Club from 2022 and has been the group leader for the past year. The group meets regularly every two weeks. The group’s main goal is to maintain a sense of security, improve lives through various physical activities, ensure respect and a sense of being needed, and prevent loneliness and social exclusion.
She is also a Member of the Board of The Trustees at Sikorski Polish Club for a year. She spends her free time with her family or hiking in the mountains.
