A CAFE is pledging to help those in need.

Amber Cafe and Bar in Evesham, which opened 18 months ago, has introduced the idea of suspended coffee.

Vicky Lawson, owner of the shop said: “Suspended coffee is about everyday people being able to give a small kindness to someone who really needs it.

“I saw an ad for suspended coffee on facebook and thought what a fab idea this is.

“When someone is feeling really in need, no matter the reason why, they can go and get a coffee in a nice warm environment with a friendly face.

“No questions asked.

“This doesn’t just mean someone who is evidently homeless or ‘looks’ like they are in need.

“It may be a single mother of four children who cannot afford coffee in this month’s grocery shopping; she may just need a coffee to get her through the day and a break while her kids are all at school.

“You may have a man walk in, well-groomed and dressed in a business suit; you may not think from appearances that he is in need but he may be in his 16th week of job hunting.

“It can be for a student struggling with exams.

“Suspended coffees is all about spreading a little kindness by paying it forward.”

Whilst the idea represents a risk, Ms Lawson is hoping that people will not abuse it.

She added: “There is always a risk that people won’t embrace buying the suspended coffee or this scheme will be taken advantage of and we will be left seriously out of pocket but having thought this idea through I have decided it is a risk I was willing to take.”

The idea is that visitors walk into a shop and instead of buying one coffee, they buy extra with the others suspended for someone in need to get free.

It does not just work with coffee either, with other items in the shop also part of the scheme.

Any surplus created by more purchasers than those redeeming the offer will be donated to a local foodbank.

For more information about the idea, visit suspendedcoffees.com/