Shepton Mallet rallied round Collett Park Cafe within hours of a fire on Saturday evening, 22 March, with firefighters limiting the damage, local tradespeople stepping in and donors raising enough to cover repairs. Cafe owner Tracy said she had been "overwhelmed with kindness" after the blaze at the popular park cafe.

Thomas Glover launched an online appeal after the fire, saying he wanted to raise "£700, or more, to support Collect Park Cafe after a devastating fire on the evening of 22 March".

He wrote: "Thankfully, thanks to the quick response and hard work of our amazing firefighters, the fire was contained before it could spread further."

Glover said the owner had been quoted £700 for repairs and added: "All money raised will go directly to the cafe's owners to help them get their local business back up and running as soon as possible."

But the strongest response came from the town itself. In a message on Facebook shared the next day, the cafe staff wrote: "Well shepton I've been overwhelmed with kindness today."

They praised Trev Purcell from TJP Electrics for coming out quickly to make sure the electricity was safe, saying that meant she had not lost freezer stock. She also thanked Trevor Bartlett, who she said was "dropping everything tomorrow to repair the side".

They also said the fundraiser had already done enough to get the cafe moving again, with some left over for coffee and cakes for the fire crews who fought the blaze.

They also hope that cafe will be reopened towards the end of the week.

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Shepton Mallet Fire Station said the speed of the response had made a crucial difference. In a statement, the station said: "The initial 999 calls and swift actions of the crews undoubtedly stopped the cafe from sustaining more serious damage."

The station added: "Last night six residents of Shepton were alerted, made the journey to the station and attended this fire, all within about 8 minutes. This saved the cafe from certain devastation."

Firefighters also pointed to the backing already coming from the town. The statement said: "It's great to see the community spirit alive, already there's offers of help and support to get the cafe functioning again."

The cause of the fire has not been yet been confirmed, but it is believed it started in a nearby waste bin.

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