The owners of Payava in Canning Town have rebuilt their business after being forced to leave their homeland

Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz meets bakers at Payava

A successful Newham bakery business is one of the heartwarming stories of survival and moving on after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine and Newham

Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz visited the bakery to mark the third anniversary of the invasion.

In the three years since February 2022, nearly 500 Ukrainians who first sought refuge in Newham have moved on from their initial sponsors into their own accommodation, most choosing to remain in the Borough.

Many are now working, more than 100 Ukrainian children continue their education in Newham schools, and some, like the Payava bakery in Canning Town, have even launched their own businesses.

The bakery specialises in artisanal baked goods and confectionery. Its Ukrainian owners Valentyna and Pavel have rebuilt their business here after being forced to leave behind a successful bakery when war devastated their homeland.

They now employ three other bakers making specialities which were favourites in Ukraine. “Newham is a proud Borough of Sanctuary, where many people have come seeking safety after fleeing conflict,” said the Mayor during her visit..

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