Dear Friends, Neighbours, and Supporters, we are reaching out today in absolute shock and heartbreak, but with a fierce determination to protect a beautiful, hard-working family who has given so much to our community.

This week, our dear friend Gaurav, his wife, and their young family watched their livelihood vanish in a devastating, fire due to hate crime on Shankill road Belfast. In a matter of hours, the physical grocery shop they poured their hearts, souls, and life savings into building was reduced to ash. 80% of the building is entirely destroyed. Their core stock is gone, their fixtures are melted, and the community hub they spent years establishing is completely ruined. But worst of all, the sense of safety and security they felt for their young children in this neighborhood has been shattered.

Gaurav didn't just run a store; he built a welcoming space for the community, serving everyone with warmth, respect, and a genuine smile. Now, this sudden disaster has left them facing mounting personal bills and a completely ruined building that will take many months—if not years—of complex structural rebuilding to ever fix.

We cannot let hate and destruction win.

Because the damage to the current building is so severe and the emotional trauma is so close to home, it is simply not safe or practical for them to try and rebuild at the old site. Therefore, this fund is a direct appeal to help them completely relocate their business and start fresh in a new, safe area of Belfast.

Where Your Donations Will Go:

Every single penny raised by this community will go directly toward helping this family survive, pivot, and find safety. Your generosity will fund:

• Emergency Family Support: Helping cover their immediate home rent and basic household living expenses while their storefront revenue stream is completely gone.

• A Safe Alternative Location: Funding the heavy upfront commercial deposits and legal costs required to secure a brand-new, safe lease for a new storefront in a secure part of town.

• Replacing Destroyed Inventory: Rebuilding the core stock of groceries and essential commercial refrigeration equipment needed to fully relaunch their independent livelihood.

• Bridging the Critical Gap: Providing immediate operational capital to keep the family viable while they navigate the inevitably long, delayed process of state disaster compensation.

Gaurav and his family are proud, resilient people who want nothing more than to stand back up on their own feet—but right now, they cannot do this alone.

Please donate what you can, whether it is £20, £50 or £100. Every donation builds a safe future for their family. Please share this link to groups. Let’s show that the spirit of community, love, and solidarity in Belfast is infinitely stronger than any act of destruction.

Thank you for your immense kindness and generosity.