It reads: "If you need a little something, but circumstances are challenging for whatever reason, take a heart and hand it to us at the counter, no explanation needed." These are known as pay-it-forward schemes. It's when people can donate into a pot of money that can be claimed by others to cover the cost of things like a coffee or a book. Amid the rising cost of living, schemes like these have the potential to offset the burden of small costs that can feel increasingly expensive.
But how often do they get used? And do people feel comfortable using them? Host Cafe, in the heart of the City of London, is home to one of these schemes.
Based in the St Mary Aldermary church, cafe manager Barbara Gornicka says there aren't many set rules: it can be used by anyone who feels like they need the cost of their drink covered that day. Instead of coming up to the counter and asking for a free beverage, people are also welcome to take one of the polymer clay hearts on the drinks board. "This is to keep people from maybe being embarrassed, especially if there's a larger queue.
Not everyone can just outright say: 'Can I have a free drink?'" explained Gornicka. One regular is Paul Atherton, who was awarded the Freedom of the City of London earlier this year and has been dealing with homelessness for 17 years. "I wouldn't have survived in this city if I didn't have the ability to sit, use Wi-Fi, and grab a coffee and feel like a part of society," he said.
Atherton, who is a filmmaker, author, and social campaigner, called schemes like this "life-changing". After accounting for £160 a month in storage costs, Atherton says he lives on £4 a day. "If these things didn't exist, you'd be outside of society.
A cup of coffee on my current benefits is more than what I get on my daily allowance." Prof Joan Costa-i-Font, an economist at the London School of Economics calls schemes like this a "drop in the ocean". "It's better than no coffee," he said. "But it's not really solving the structural problem.
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