A COFFEE shop in Wallingford has started a “pay it forward” scheme allowing people to buy a drink for someone else in need.

Jim Beans, of St Martin’s Street, opened seven months ago but already has a notice board full of cards people can use to claim a free coffee.

Co-founder of the shop James Harris, who lives in the town centre, said the scheme was started by a customer who had filled his loyalty scheme card and wanted to donate it.

The 32-year-old, best known as Jim, said: “We offer a loyalty card scheme and one day a customer was like, ‘I don’t want free coffee, can you give it to someone else?’ So we decided to put it up on our community board.

“Eventually other people noticed and started to put their cards up there as well and soon people started offering to buy coffee for people as well and we would add that to the board.

“It really grew from local generosity and now we’ve got so many up there that we need people to start using them.”

Oxford Mail: The store has only been open for seven months but the notice board is already full of free coffees donated by customers. Photo credit: Ed NixThe store has only been open for seven months but the notice board is already full of free coffees donated by customers. Photo credit: Ed Nix

Mr Harris, who runs the store with co-founder Will Pattison, said the cards are usually claimed by people on behalf of others.

He said: “People will come in and collect a coffee for a homeless person. The residents really look out for each other here.

“One of my friends came and collected a free coffee the other day for a volunteer who is driving to Ukraine to donate supplies - it’s for everyone who needs one.”

The business partners, who both grew up in Wallingford, decided to open the shop after working in hospitality for 10 to 15 years.

It first opened as a takeaway service due to the coronavirus pandemic as the pair feared another lockdown would happen.

Mr Harris said: “We decided for years and years to open a coffee shop but Will had to step away briefly and I did the opening alone but it is very much his as it is mine.

“We were both doing well in hospitality jobs and we decided why not do it for ourselves? We thought about it for four to five years and the lockdowns gave us time to do it.

“We did think about having a mobile unit originally so we could travel to events but decided to open a shop instead.

“We were takeaway at the beginning as we thought another lockdown would happen and it meant we could carry on.”

He joked: “Now we still have takeaway regulars who I see everyday and never sit down.”

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