Cost of living crisis: Struggling Sheerness tea rooms saved by public generosity

A cafe owner whose business faced closure due to the cost of living crisis says it has been "saved" due to public generosity.

Steve Jackson, who runs Jacksonwood Vintage Tea Rooms in Sheerness, Kent, was sleeping on his shop basement floor as he couldn't afford the petrol home.

He has been inundated with donations and offers of help since featuring on BBC News last week.

Mr Jackson said: "There are no words to describe how moved I am."

He said: "I expected to have to close in October once I needed to heat the shop. But that is not going to happen now."

The cafe is now being refurbished, with extra tables and a larger kitchen

Mr Jackson told the BBC last week how his trade had halved in recent months due to the cost of living crisis, and how he even went without food to try to keep up with his bills.

But he now says his fortunes have turned around.

He has received thousands of pounds of donations from all over the UK and messages of support from as far away as Paraguay.

Ten people have offered to work for him on a voluntary basis, and a coffee company from Wales is sending him free coffee beans.

A student from Leeds has even set up a GoFundMe page.

Jacksonwood Vintage Tea Rooms faced closure as customer numbers had halved in recent months

Since his plight featured on the BBC News website on Friday, Mr Jackson said he's had his "busiest days" since opening up the shop four years ago and has been having to turn customers away.

He has now taken on two extra staff and is refurbishing the cafe to add tables and refit the kitchen.

Mr Jackson said: "I burst into tears yesterday. People have just been so kind. I've never experienced this level of generosity. It's amazing.

"I'm even more fired up than when I launched the tea rooms. It's really got me motivated to succeed.

"I now know that the tea shop won't now be closing. It has been saved."

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