“I’m so grateful and fortunate to have the support of the local community,” says Sophie Knight, the owner of independent coffee shop SOPHiE, after devastating break-in.

The people of York recently came together, in the spirit of fundraising for the local children’s hospital.

Through charity pots, community support and a GoFundMe page, Sophie successfully gathered cash over several weeks, inspired by a shared desire to help out and give back, following a break in earlier this year.

In January of 2025, the Lendal Bridge location was broken into, which came as a shock to both Sophie and her staff, losing not only the tip money donated by loyal customers, but also the money they had successfully managed to raise for the children’s hospital over the Christmas period.

“The coffee shop was closed and I got a message on the Facebook account telling me to get there asap. The back door was open and had been battered at the bottom.” Says Sophie, adding, “we just have to keep our spirits high, and keep going.”

In the days that followed the incident, the local community supported SOPHiE, when Sophie, launched a GoFundMe page to regain the stolen charity funds. This enabled the team to recover what was lost, and the response was extraordinary, with customers old and new coming together to help support the local business.

Since opening, SOPHiE has became more than just a place to grab coffee, its a place of connection and community.

Despite the setback, Sophie remains optimistic, and with the community behind her, SOPHiE continues to serve as a warm and welcoming space for locals and visitor’s coming to York.

Find Sophie’s social media here for further updates here.