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Mayor Kaspryzk works with children through his charity, Kids Afloat |
As mayor, I will work to build a stronger sense of community
Councillor Stefan Kaspryzk says he’s proud to be the first citizen of a borough that is both tolerant and diverse, and wants to focus on giving children in trouble a ‘second chance’
BORN and raised in the north of Islington, the son of Polish immigrant parents, I never believed someone with my background could ever get to be the borough’s first citizen.
It’s a huge honour and shows just how Islington welcomes people from all backgrounds and from all over the world. We’ve always been a tolerant, diverse community. It’s one of the reasons people like living here.
As a child of immigrants, I don’t think you ever lose your heritage but you must integrate and you must communicate.
I am passionate about improving social cohesion. So many of our young people are frustrated by being unable to fulfil their potential and so often this leads to social exclusion and crime.
My parents had yet to meet when they fled Poland for the USSR during the Second World War. They were forced to flee a socialist regime, which has made me a firm believer in democracy and Liberalism.
My father, Antoni, joined the RAF as a radio technician in 1941. After being demobbed in 1945 he became a postman in Islington and settled in Archway where he met and married my mother, Halina, who worked in a handbag factory on Brewery Road, in 1950.
They quickly became part of north London’s large Polish community. At home, I spoke only Polish and did not speak fluent English until I went to school – first at St Gilda’s then at St Aloysius.
I can thank the BBC for getting me started – we had a radio and we bought our first TV in 1959, and I learnt much of my early language that way.
I joined the BBC as an engineer in 1971, working on outside broadcasts covering Cup Finals, The Queen’s Silver Jubilee, Songs of Praise, Election Night, Children in Need, and the Royal Wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana.
It was while working for the BBC that I first got interested in public service. We never forgot who we served – and that’s held me in good stead as a councillor.
I married Magdalena in 1981 and we had a son, Dominik – he’s now a physicist at Birmingham University.
As branch secretary of the broadcasters’ union, I was instrumental in brokering many agreements between unions and BBC management. But following staff cutbacks, I was made redundant in 1995.
I didn’t cope well with losing my job, which created challenges that I couldn’t have come through without the love and support of my family, friends, and the help of the Islington community.
Because of my experiences I believe in giving people a second chance and helping those less fortunate to fulfil their true potential. It’s the same with kids – many people want to demonise them but I honestly don’t think they are any better or worse than they were when I was growing up.
My charity, Kids Afloat, is giving youngsters a chance to develop team skills and meet young people from different backgrounds while having fun on the canal.
But it’s community cohesion I want to leave as my legacy as mayor.
We are a small borough with a big influence. We are the home of the charity sector in London and our voluntary groups have a great tradition for doing good. I want this attitude to be extended – so everyone takes a stake in Islington’s future and gets involved in it at some level, whether that’s through their community, a volunteer group, or supporting a local charity like mine.
I’ve met loads of people across the borough and the council and what strikes me is that this place has a real buzz about it. Staff care about their work and residents care about the borough. Long may that continue.
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