
YOU'VE heard of 'buy one get one free'.
How about 'buy one donate one to a total stranger'?
That is the concept behind bar boss Christine Blackburn's new charitable promotion.
She hopes some customers will take up the challenge and pay for an extra coffee, sandwich or baguette when they order at the bar.
People who genuinely cannot afford their own can then come and claim it, although they must behave respectfully and must not be drunk.
Instincts
Miss Blackburn, who runs The Lock Bar and Bistro in Sandfields, Swansea, said she hoped people's better instincts would prevail.
Asked if she genuinely thought the idea would take off in tough times, she replied: "I think so. Even if one or two people get a (free) cup of coffee and a sandwich, it's better than nothing."
The concept — known as the suspended coffee scheme — reportedly started in Naples, Italy, before spreading abroad.
Backed by social media, dozens of cafes in Britain have apparently signed up.
Miss Blackburn said she had sent a message to homeless charity Cyrenians Cymru about her plans and put posters up in the area.
She added that she had stumped up 10 free coffees and 10 baguettes herself to help get the project up and running. Miss Blackburn said if people donated a hot drink or food, she would write their initials on a board behind the bar and keep a running tally.
They were genuinely meant for people in need as opposed to "a bunch of lads" out together, she said.
Miss Blackburn, who used to run a bistro in Greece, is involved in another community-minded scheme, Had Enough, which encourages people to get together and barter for goods and services.
An example is using members' gardens to grow food, and sharing the associated work and spoils.
"We want to take power back and take money out of the equation," she said.
Starbucks is among the big name coffee retailers which have at least acknowledged the suspended coffee concept.
"We think suspended coffee is a really interesting campaign and we're looking into it," said a Starbucks spokesman.
News websites have had numerous and generally favourable responses to stories on the subject.
Amy Lee, spokeswoman for Welsh homeless charity The Wallich, said any scheme to break down "us and them barriers" was a good thing.
She said it wasn't just the coffee or sandwich that would make the difference, it was the feeling of being welcome in a venue.
She said The Wallich provided hot drinks and food to vulnerable people on the streets of Swansea every morning, and that recipients valued the personal contact and connection.
"I imagine this (coffee scheme) would do a similar thing," she added. Reported by This is 8 hours ago.