George Caffee: Bringing Authentic Polish Baking to Aberdare Market
When Sylwia approached the fund with her idea to open George Caffee in Aberdare Market, she had a clear vision: to create a specialist Polish cake shop offering handcrafted cakes made from traditional family recipes. Recognising a gap in the local market, Sylwia wanted to provide residents, visitors, and the local Polish community with authentic baked goods that celebrate cultural heritage through quality, flavour, and craftsmanship.
To help bring her vision to life, we awarded £6,308 towards essential equipment, including commercial refrigeration units that would allow her cakes to be displayed professionally and attractively.
The Impact: Since opening, George Caffee has continued to grow, attracting both new and returning customers who appreciate the unique products on offer.
Sylwia said: “I wanted to bring something different to Aberdare Market – something that wasn’t available anywhere else locally. The refrigeration equipment has made a huge difference, helping me display my cakes beautifully and professionally. My business is growing every day. I welcome new customers all the time, and many of my regular customers come back again and again for my cakes. Everything has gone very well, and I’m extremely happy with how the business is developing. Honestly, I don’t know if I would have been able to open without the grant.”
Why We Funded: We funded George Caffee because we are committed to supporting entrepreneurship, helping women become more economically active, and creating thriving town centres where independent businesses can flourish.
The Fund was established by energy company Vattenfall to benefit the communities hosting the Pen y Cymoedd wind farm across the upper Neath, Afan, Rhondda and Cynon Valleys. It exists to support local people, groups and organisations to invest in themselves, their ideas and their communities.
The Community Fund has a substantial annual budget that is index-linked, meaning it increases in line with inflation. As an example, this equated to around £2.5 million in 2025. The Fund will continue to support communities until 2043, creating long-term opportunities for growth, resilience and positive change.
The Fund is managed by an independent, locally based not-for-profit Community Interest Company. It is overseen by a Board of Directors with strong local connections and delivered by a small but dedicated staff team with extensive community engagement experience. We are here to help ensure the Fund delivers on the vision and priorities of local communities.
Over the next 10 years, the Fund is focusing on investment in people, places and businesses — helping the Valleys to thrive, driving bold ideas, supporting transformation and creating lasting impact for current and future generations.