Following a bike theft, East Ham has united to reinstate the Cupcake Queen of East Ham.

By Leah Mullen

Every child looks forward to Friday, but the students at Brampton Primary in East Ham looked forward to it just a little more: Friday used to be the day Grace Kenneth-Jimah parked outside the school with Velvet, her red and white polka dot delivery trike. Friday was Cupcake Day.

But several weeks ago, Velvet was stolen from outside of Grace’s home.

Grace is a hugely important and popular part of the East Ham community. She heads the Brampton Primary PTA and has run our local toddler groups – her renditions of children’s books are legendary – as well as the school’s oversubscribed cooking club.

She’s been selling her home-baked cupcakes to delighted patrons since 2017, and in 2022, after many pandemic-related setbacks, she was able to buy Velvet, her custom trike. For a short time, she was the eco- and family-friendly alternative to the ice cream van in East Ham.

Bike theft has long been an issue in Newham, but this crime hit especially hard. Velvet was not only a mode of transport for Grace: it was also part of her livelihood. The community was shocked. Concerned citizens labelled the offence “outrageous” and “awful”.

Now East Ham is fighting back against those who took Velvet off our streets. Community members have started a GoFundMe campaign to reinstate the “ice cream man – but with cakes!”

So far, the project has raised more than £1000 of the £3k required. Grace knows there is a long way to go to meet her goal but remains positive, asserting that she’s cooking up some “great ideas and offers to make this happen”. Speaking to her, it’s easy to feel confident that our next Cupcake Day is right around the corner.

If you’d like to get involved and support Grace, please visit – Fundraiser for Grace Kenneth-Jimah by Leah Mullen : Bring Kakes by Grace Back to our Streets! (gofundme.com)

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