Leeds cafe owners 'utterly speechless' after storm damage sparks community support
The business said it has received “hundreds” of messages and comments offering kind words, support and help
The owners of a Leeds cafe have been left "utterly speechless" by the messages and support is has received after strong winds damaged its roof, forcing it to close.
Little Leaf Cafe, located at Palmers Plants in Calverley, was forced to cancel its "biggest and busiest" craft market of the year on Sunday (October 25) after strong winds from Storm Boelo damaged its main polytunnel.
The storm ripped part of the roof off the cafe's polytunnel, leaving the team with no choice but to close and cancel the event.
The community quickly rallied around the family-run business, with a local company donating nuts and bolts for repairs and a GoFundMe campaign launched by a customer.
As of Tuesday morning, the fundraiser had received nearly £1,300 towards its £1,400 target.
In a statement on Monday, the Little Leaf team said the response had been "absolutely overwhelming", with hundreds of messages offering support and practical help.
The team also thanked the media for helping spread the word after the incident was covered by the Yorkshire Evening Post and other news outlets.
They gave special thanks to Bolt and Nut Supplies Ltd for donating the materials needed to secure a new roof.
Customer Joanne Brophy, who runs Hookers and Clickers Do It for Charity, was also praised for setting up the fundraising page.
The team said: “We know times are difficult for everyone, and we would never expect anyone to donate, but any money raised will go towards helping us deal with the huge financial impact this has caused. Losing part of our roof and having to close the cafe on what should have been our biggest craft market of the year has been devastating.”
They added: “Joanne, thank you for thinking of us and doing something so incredibly kind. And to everyone who has messaged, shared our story, offered help or simply taken the time to send us some love - THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEARTS.
“We really are feeling the love, and it’s helping us through what has been an incredibly tough time. We’ll keep you updated as we work out our next steps. For now, we just wanted you all to know how much your support means to us.”
The café remains closed on Tuesday while the team deals with the storm damage, but is open for takeaway orders from customers visiting the garden centre. You can find the GoFundMe campaign here.