It is with great pleasure that we welcome one of Poland’s best known philanthropic organizations, the Caledonian Society of Warsaw, as our Foundation’s 5th Cooperating Organization.  We look forward to presenting the Society with our Foundation’s Gold Seal of Approval at our Foundation’s April 3rd Executive Breakfast.  
 
The Caledonian Society, as we know it today, was established in 1996 to promote Scottish culture to anyone who would listen!  Over the years the Society has held numerous Scottish cultural activities throughout Poland in support of the British Embassy and the British Polish Chamber of Commerce.
 
These events included the British Ambassador’s visit to flood victims of Wroclaw, visits to schools in and around Warsaw, Malt Whisky Evenings, and Scottish Evenings. The Caledonian Society has helped to encourage interest in Scotland by hosting more than 65 Scottish Evenings over the last 10 years, in some of Poland’s more interesting and remote locations.
 
The Society’s main cultural/philanthropic event each year is the Caledonian Ball.  It is held every November and was attended last year by more than 400 enthusiastic Scottish supporters, including the Scottish Minister for Europe, Linda Fabiani.
 
Funds raised at the Balls go to the Scottish Foundation, a registered Polish Charity, for the benefit of children in Poland. In the past, the Caledonian Society donated funds to the Dom Malego Dziecka in Warsaw, the Przyjaciol Dzieci Pragi Polnoc in Praga, as well as contributing to the Frogs & Co., another Cooperating Organization of our Foundation.  This money was used to help fund a Cancer ward in Lodz.  Society funds have also been used to help fund the Laski Children’s home for the Blind
 
We are proud that our new Cooperating Organization will now be making periodic contributions to our Foundation’s Hot-meal program.
 
The activities of the Caledonian Society are carried out by Martyn O’Reilly (See photo above) who never misses a chance to promote his tribal homelands. Martyn has been an active Director/Vice Chairman of the British Polish Chamber of Commerce as well as Chairman of the Caledonian Society and President of the Scottish Foundation .He is also an International Malt Whisky Ambassador giving talks for Charity round the world.  Is his spare time he has just merged his firm with AES International Global Wealth Managers acting as a Financial Adviser to Private Clients.  He is a keen skier as well as a former ski instructor.  He was also a sailing instructor and took part in the Round the World yacht race in 2008.  At 57, Martyn considers himself too young to play golf on any of Scotland’s 535 golf courses.
 
We welcome Martyn O’Reilly and the Caledonian Society as a Cooperating Organization and look forward to a long positive relationship in helping needy Polish children.