Lockdown lift: A charity cocktail masterclass

  • Learn how to make a cocktail with ITV Meridian's Tony Green

A woman from Hildenborough in Kent has overcome a serious illness by sharing her love of cocktails and mocktails online.

Tammy Jackson, started a social media page as a way of retraining her brain to use words after her illness with Fibromyalgia.

When Tammy first started, her husband built a bar in their living room. Now, almost 40,000 people follow her account on Instagram.

Tammy will be doing a cocktail masterclass online to raise money for a Kent charity Credit: ITV Meridian

Tammy said: "I couldn't have a conversation, as I couldn't string certain sentences together. So this was an easy way to formulate writing and blogging. It was a great outlet for that."

She added: "Cocktails come from my love of entertaining, so it was always if people come round they have a welcome cocktail and I knew that if I could create a cocktail and share those."

  • Tammy Jackson, Cocktail creator:

Tammy will be doing an online cocktail masterclasses on Monday (8th February) to raise money for Tree of Hope.

The Tonbridge-based charity helps families of disabled children to raise money for equipment, therapy or treatment not covered by the NHS. 

Georgina Lowry, Tree of Hope charity said the pandemic has "completely decimated" its fundraising opportunities.

She said: "We are having to think creatively and adapt to do things in a different way. We are really grateful for people like Tammy getting behind us and supporting us in a really fun way."

Tammy said she understands the importance of the charity, being "a family that has gone through illness."

She said: "We have close friends who have children that I don't think would make it through their day-to-day lives without support, and Tree of Hope offer that."