A DEVIZES café has come up with a novel way to help people on a low budget feel less isolated.

Sprout in St John's Street, has launched Suspended Coffee, to allow customers to buy a coffee for people who are less fortunate.

Lily Shergold, 22, said the idea for Suspended Coffee came from a conversation with Nicky Harris, the community connector from the Wiltshire Centre For Independent Living in Devizes. It is aimed at encouraging people on a low budget – young mums, pensioners or rough sleepers – to drop in and socialise.

“The idea is that customers can buy an extra coffee and suspend it so that someone who may not be able to afford to buy a coffee can come and ask if there any available and then claim one,” she said.

“They can have it as a takeaway or they can sit and drink it here in the warm, chat to people and not be on their own. There is always someone to talk to in here.”

She says the scheme fits in with the three-year-old café’s welcoming and friendly ethos, something she knows their customers buy into. “We know our customers will want to pay a little kindness forward. We’ve only been running it a few days and already people are taking part.

“Our customers are very friendly and understanding and we have always welcomed anyone in. If we have a suspended coffee available, anyone can claim it. I’m in no position to judge who deserves it.”

Customers can see if there are suspended coffees available because a ‘washing line’ behind the till will have cut out coffee cups, designed and made by Miss Shergold, on display.

The café, run by Miss Shergold, her mum Jess Shergold and uncle Glen Hickey, hopes others in the town will join in the scheme.

Sprout is also once again supporting the Wiltshire Community Foundation’s Surviving Winter campaign, which gives grants to vulnerable people living in fuel poverty.

Last year the café raised £300 in support of the Wiltshire Community Foundation’s Surviving Winter campaign by donating 50p from each one of its popular hot chocolate drinks sold and it is doing the same this year.

The campaign, which is in its tenth year, gives £300 grants to the elderly and vulnerable living in fuel poverty. Since its launch the Wiltshire Community Foundation has given away more than £500,000 to more than 1,500 households in Wiltshire and Swindon.

“More than 30,000 people in Wiltshire live in fuel poverty and last year more than 300 of them died in fuel poverty,” said the Community Foundation’s Chief Executive Rosemary Macdonald. “The support of community-minded businesses like Sprout, who have shown how much they care by helping Surviving Winter and launching Suspended Coffee, is wonderful.”

Said Lily: “Helping the community is what we are about here, and this is such a good cause.”

Find out more about Surviving Winter and how to support it at wiltshirecf.org.uk and follow Sprout Devizes on Facebook and Instagram.