A Beaconsfield man has helped found a new Greek school in the town with the aim of teaching third- and fourth-generation Greek children about their cultural heritage.

Panayiotis Yiacoumi is a first-generation Greek immigrant who has lived in Beaconsfield for nearly 30 years and is chairman of the Greek Parents Association, an organisation founded in 1952 to promote the education and welfare of the Greek Cypriot community in London. 

Today, the Association comprises a community centre and nine schools and youth clubs around the London area and provides students with a Greek Language GCSE and additional UCAS points for their university applications.

Panayiotis is now looking to reinstate a Greek School in his local area and said he has been bolstered by the positive community response he has received so far. 

"I came over from Greece in 1968 and my wife is English born. When our children were younger, it was very important for me to instil in them a sense of their cultural heritage by teaching them about Greek language and history, but I know that many other second or third-generation families don't have the time or capacity to do the same."

He said there had been a small Greek school in Beaconsfield that ran on Friday evenings prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, but that he and other parents now saw a chance to create a larger, more expansive facility to help children of all ages learn about their ancestral roots.

"Our plan is to hold classes on Saturday afternoons for three or four hours, teaching children about Greek language, dance, history and culture.

"The school that ran in Beaconsfield before had very few teachers and quite a narrow reach. We are planning to hold sessions at The Curzon Centre on Maxwell Road, and we chose that venue so we could use the whole of the centre to run several classes at once. There's even the possibility of introducing a class for adults if the interest is there." 

Panayiotis added a central motivation for becoming chairman of the GPA was seeing the benefits learning about their background had on his own children, who are now grown up and have left home.  

“They want it for their own children now too, which is even more important because it’s very easy for a mixed heritage child to lose that part of themselves that’s not so easily accessible while you’re living in this country.

“It can be a real loss for the children because that awareness of Greek culture enhances their personalities and the schools that we set up also help them to develop a community and meet others with a similar background.”

The new Greek School in Beaconsfield will hold its first class on Saturday, September 2. Spaces are still available and can be reserved by contacting Panayiotis by phoning 07939 589759.