Crowdfunding target for new bike is at halfway point 24 hours after launch
SINCE lockdown began Piotr Skoczylas has been brewing fresh coffee and baking cookies, and using a custom-made cargo bike to deliver all over Penarth.
However, his business Stol Coffee ran into trouble when the frame of the familiar blue and yellow bike snapped while he was riding it.
Piotr’s bike has become iconic in Penarth and many residents have made talking to Piotr and drinking his coffee part of their daily routine.
“It looks like after seven months the bike is giving up and I need something different, that [the bike] is supposed to be standing in one place really not moving as much as I do, so I totally understand why it’s breaking.”
The frame was welded together for free at Pearson’s garage in Penarth but Piotr needs a more long term solution.
On Saturday January 23 Piotr launched his crowdfunding project and after 24 hours half of his £7,000 was raised. Piotr currently has £4,275 towards paying for the new £5,340 custom made bike and other costs to help the business such as a prep table and shelving kits.
“The new bike is a completely different design, it’s the same concept but the frame is different, and it will never break because it will take more weight, also it would be helpful to have an electric assist to go up the hills in Penarth,” says Piotr.
“Because it’s going to be crowdfunded, if I can I’ll put all the names of the backers on one side of the bike, to show it is from the community for the community.”
When Piotr needed a space to store his bike and equipment the Penarth community came to his aid.
“I asked around and someone is helping me out, it’s someone’s family’s garage and they are just so kind to let me use it for a while, and that is this epicentre of the community, the best kind of visual representation of what the community is here, they care about something I’m trying to do, and they will support this as much as they can.”
Before lockdown Piotr worked at a takeaway coffee stand, but being furloughed was not enough for him.
“I felt like I didn’t want to be furloughed, I felt like I’m just wasting time here.”
“I think coffee connects us on so many different levels and we need to keep it going and this is the time where we can really show that we can care about the local community, that we want to make a difference and coffee does this in a brilliant way. You need to design it in that way.”
Whilst selling coffees and cookies helps pay the bills, that isn’t what Piotr enjoys most about the business, his focus is to bring the community together and have meaningful conversations with people.
“I want to continue that mission of bringing positivity, and a different kind of mindset and to help people become better versions of themselves, and coffee and cookies is just a way to get there.”
Piotr has used his business to bring people together and organised a few meet-ups in Penarth between lockdowns.
“The idea came that I wanted to be out there for those conversations, if you’re lonely vulnerable need a conversation or a chat I’m there, you don’t need to buy anything just come and have a chat.”
“It doesn’t mean that were congregating 70 people in the park, it’s about come along have a coffee a conversation and move on and that’s lovely and what’s been happening when we could in between lockdowns.”
One meet-up that stands out was when Piotr and a harpist teamed up to bring coffee and music to Alexandra Park.
“We had 70 people show up, spread out in socially distanced ways in the time of two hours and that was wonderful that was fantastic, to just stand in front of the harp listen for two minutes and move on and for those two minutes you don’t hear anything, or think about anything else, that’s huge for mental health so that’s what I want to do, that’s meaningful.”
Piotr has big plans for the future and once he further builds his business, he hopes to set up a stall somewhere outdoors in Penarth, to continue selling coffee and cookies, but also as a place for people to meet up and talk to each other.
“I think 2021 has to be about community and it’s not just hearing me, it’s about having more meaningful debates and conversations about mental health and about who you are, what is your identity what is your voice how do you find that voice, I want to have conversations like this so people feel better than we can create stronger, better communities, says Piotr.
“I want to build this community hub because it will allow me to create myself a little platform where I can help people to come together in some kind of safe shape and form to discuss those issues.”
Link here to Piotr’s crowdfunding page.
