Not 'poor enough': Do people use London's pay-it-forward schemes?

Do Londoners utilize "pay-it-forward" initiatives, or do they feel they aren't "poor enough"?

Lala Books operates a pay-it-forward program, sustained by community donations.

You might have encountered a notice similar to this: "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, where individuals contribute money to a collective fund that others can access to cover expenses like a coffee or a book.

In an era of escalating living costs, such initiatives have the potential to alleviate the burden of minor expenses that are becoming increasingly costly. However, how frequently are they used, and do people feel at ease accessing them?

Host Cafe operates a "suspended coffee" program.

Host Cafe, situated in the heart of the City of London, hosts one such program.

Located within the St Mary Aldermary church, cafe manager Barbara Gornicka states that there are few rigid rules: anyone who feels they need their drink cost covered for the day can use it.

Instead of directly requesting a free beverage at the counter, patrons are also welcome to select one of the polymer clay hearts displayed 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?'" Gornicka explained.

Customers can present a polymer clay heart at the counter to claim their complimentary drink, no questions asked.

Paul Atherton, a regular customer who received the Freedom of the City of London earlier this year and has experienced homelessness for 17 years, is one such individual.

"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 remarked.

Atherton, a filmmaker, author, and social campaigner, described these schemes as "life-changing."

After accounting for £160 per month in storage costs, Atherton states he lives on £4 a day.

Paul Atherton referred to these initiatives as "life-changing."

"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, characterizes such schemes as a "drop in the ocean."

"It's better than no coffee," he said. "But it's not really solving the structural problem. It's a sign of kindness. I would say all these are signals of kindness."

Advertising the scheme can also be challenging, according to Gornicka, who desires it to be used more frequently and by individuals from diverse backgrounds.

"My goal eventually for the scheme is not to only exist for people who absolutely cannot afford a coffee, but for people to feel secure in that they can use it – even if they definitely could afford a beverage."

A similar sentiment is found south of the river at Lala Books, an independent bookshop in Camberwell that runs a comparable program.

Owner Danielle Moylan states that their fund can be utilized by anyone to cover the full or partial cost of a book or magazine at her store.

The scheme is particularly popular among young people in the community, who are feeling the strain of rising rents and the cost of living – though using it can be met with hesitation.

The scheme at Lala Books is community-funded and allows customers to claim all or part of the cost of a book.

"'I feel bad' – a lot of people say that, or you can tell they don't think it's for them. Or they might not be in quotes poor enough to use it or disadvantaged enough."

However, Moylan emphasizes that this is not the scheme's purpose; it exists for anyone who might feel they don't quite have enough money for a new book.

"It's just there for you to feel comfortable enough to take a book home with you," she explained.

While people can simply approach the till and request to use the funds, a more discreet method has also been devised.

At a box in the back of the shop, there is a stack of envelopes containing gift vouchers that anyone can pick up.

Moylan states they look identical to their regular gift vouchers: "We wouldn't know the difference."

A sign in the back of the shop directs people to a box of gift vouchers.

The vouchers appear exactly like any other gift voucher.

Do they worry that this no-questions-asked approach could lead to people exploiting the scheme?

Moylan responds with a firm no. "That's sometimes the pointy end of running a scheme like this, and that's just something you have to accept as part of a community fund."

She recounted one customer who used the scheme to purchase a book for a friend's birthday. In another instance, the scheme provided 30 books for a local primary school.

"There's something nice about the idea that people in Camberwell and Southwark are giving money – that then is going to buy books for kids who live around the corner," said Gillian Lewis, the parent who saw Lala's scheme and conceived the idea for the school books.

Moylan added: "We even get people who might use it one week when they feel like they don't have just quite enough money to get the book that they want, and then like two months later they'll come back and say they want to donate into it now."