A cafe that employees people with learning disabilities has made a plea for help after a fire forced it to close its doors.

Jackson’s Cafe, High Street, Romford, has been filling stomachs for 25 years, while also helping hundreds through a two-year NVQ course teaching skills such as food preparation and working front of house.

But, on Monday June 27 project manager Tracey Brennan received a call from a firefighter telling her smoke had been seen rising from the cafe.

“I didn’t know what to think when I got the call”, she said.

“I went down there as soon as I got off the phone and a lot of our equipment had been damaged by smoke.

“When I saw what happened, I just stood there and sobbed.

“Not for me but for all of our clients who won’t be able to come here.”

Tracey is appealing to other businesses for help in getting the cafe back up and running.

She’s seeking donations of anything from cutlery to storage boxes.

A Just Giving page has also been set up for any monetary donations.

She said: “We are so important in the community and right in the heart of Havering.

“We help to give people life skills so that they can get themselves a job or just the confidence to be able to live by themselves.

“I am so grateful of all of the support we have been given so would like to thank everyone.

“We have been running for 25 years and I would still like us to be running 25 years from now.”

To donate to Jackson’s Cafe visit http://bit.ly/29xrAPJ