Polish-owned café in Hillsborough, Sheffield raises over £3,000 for Ukraine

Molly’s Café and Deli is owned by Lucy Poplawski, aged 35, and her husband, Poitr, 39.

Lucy said that the community has been incredibly generous, especially because of her husband being from Poland.

“We didn’t know what we could do at first. But the one thing we knew we could do was bake.”

Poitr’s family live on the border of Ukraine and Poland so they have seen the “full impact of the refugees coming over the border,” his wife Lucy said.

She added: “It’s just something so close to home that we thought we’ve got to do something.

“We’ve got a family of three little girls and watching the news every day is just heart breaking.”

The deli has been baking Ukraine cake and Ukraine barszcz soup, as well as cupcakes decorated with the Ukrainian flag.

They have also named a brownie after Vladimir Zelenskiy, the president of Ukraine.

Lucy said they started off with a target of £500 to give to the Red Cross for specialist equipment, like wheelchairs for injured children.

But people were flooding in, giving all that they could, with donations ranging from £20 to £100.

Before they knew it, they had raised £3,100 and are continuing to receive donations.

The café has spread its thanks on Facebook by posting: “We have been blown away by your generosity and kindness, and for all the donations brought into the deli what an amazing bunch of people you all are.”