Washington cafe pays tribute to Captain Sir Tom Moore, and helps spread veteran's message of hope

Olivia's Coffee House pays tribute to Captain Sir Tom Moore

A cafe has paid tribute to the late NHS hero Captain Sir Tom Moore, sharing the war veteran’s message of hope.

Olivia’s Coffee House, in Washington Village, wanted to pay tribute to the late Sir Tom while also spreading his message of hope to the local community.

The poster, which was put outside the cafe after Sir Tom passed away, shares a quote from veteran which says: ‘The Sun will shine on you again and the clouds will go away’.

In April 2020, Sir Tom set out to raise £1,000 for health service charities by walking 100 laps of his garden before his 100th birthday and went on to raise an incredible £32million, later being knighted by the queen for his efforts before passing away earlier this month.

Sir Captain Tom Moore raised over £32 million for the NHS (Photo: JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images)

Owner of Olivia’s Coffee House, Kayleigh Hankinson, 35, said: “Sir Tom has been really inspirational. After he passed away we were telling our kids about everything he did and his words about a better tomorrow.

“It’s so important to spread that message of hope because it’s easy to feel defeated right now, but spreading joy and hope to the local community is important to us.”

The idea came after earlier on in the lockdown, Olivia’s Coffee House paid tribute to NHS staff with a similar poster which was praised by the local community.

During the pandemic, Kayleigh has been keeping the business busy by delivering afternoon tea’s, doing weekend takeaways and hiring out bell tents and tepees.

As well as being a cafe, Olivia's Coffee House, ran by Kayleigh Hankinson, also hires out blue bell tents and tepees for events.

Kayleigh added: “We’ve been really busy during lockdown and the pandemic so we can’t complain.

“We’re so excited for the day we can welcome people back into the cafe, we have so many regulars we’re used seeing several times a week and we really miss them. Customers become friends and we’re really looking forward to when we can see them again.”

After first opening the cafe six years ago, Kayleigh is hoping after lockdown the coffee house can be bigger and better than ever, with plans to hopefully expand to more hosting events.

The Captain Sir Tom Moore tribute poster was made by a local company, Excel Sings and Exhibitions, based in Birley, which is owned by Kayleigh’s husband, Gareth Hankinson.

Kayleigh and her husband Gareth Hankinson, whose business Excel Signs and Exhibitions, made the Sir Tom tribute poster

Support your Echo and become a subscriber today. Enjoy unlimited access to local news, the latest on SAFC and new puzzles every day. With a digital subscription, you can see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Click here to subscribe.