Brewing up help for the Fylde coast homeless

Youngsters from the National Citizen Service have set up a scheme to allow people to buy a pending coffee for the homeless at several cafes. Pictured are Brittany Morley and Luke Munday.

A group of Fylde coast teenagers taking part in the National Citizen Service have launched a new scheme to encourage people to help those in need.

Their scheme, which follows similar projects in the United States of America, allows customers in cafes to buy a cup of coffee for someone who cannot afford it.

It is thought to be the first time it has been done on the Fylde coast.

Youngsters from the National Citizen Service have set up a scheme to allow people to buy a pending coffee for the homeless at several cafes. L-R are Luke Munday, Bryony Dunstan, Brittany Morley, Sarah Cottam, Courtney Robinson and Georgia Carbray.

The youngsters have already enlisted around 15 cafes for the scheme, which lets customers ordering their drinks to buy a “pending coffee”.

Those drinks are not made but stored up and poured when someone in need goes in to ask if the cafe has any pending drinks to give out.

Luke Munday, from Blackpool, is one the people behind the project.

The 16-year-old, who hopes to start at Blackpool Sixth Form in September, said: “We originally came up with the idea because of the large volume of homeless people.

“At first, we set out to raise awareness and raise as much money as possible.”

But then, inspired by the pending coffee idea, the group decided to give it a try closer to home.

He added: “It started in Italy and it’s been done in America.

“We have got lots of people and we have spoken to other charities. It’s going pretty well so far.”

The groups also took to the streets as they walked from Cleveleys to Blackpool at the weekend to raise awareness of their scheme.

Chris Kaye, an NCS team leader in Blackpool, said: “The pending coffee idea is big in America but nothing has been done in the local community.

“They have gone into cafes in Cleveleys and Blackpool and managed to get about 15 on board.

“They all came up with the idea themselves – they have done really well.”

He said the youngsters are doing this as part of the four-week NCS scheme, aimed at 15 to 17-year-olds, but the group is keen to keep the project going beyond that.