A scheme has been introduced in some of the island’s cafes that encourages people to help others in need.

The initiative encourages ‘acts of kindness’ in the community.

When a customer pays for their food or drink at any cafe signed up to the initiative, they will have the option to pay for an extra drink or food item on the menu.

This will then be held back for someone in need, which could be anyone from a student to someone who has forgotten their wallet.

The concept of the scheme is to give back to the community and support each other through a difficult financial time.

Laura Mowat, owner and manager of plant-based cafe and restaurant Vibe, decided to get involved.

She said: ‘Encouraging acts of kindness amongst our community is what motivated me. Anything that encourages kindness, connects people, restores faith in humanity and helps people in need is certainly worth doing.’

It started when she was contacted by a customer called Jane Cheeney, who asked if the cafe did ‘suspended coffees’.

Laura said: ‘I hadn’t heard this term before so I did some research. When I researched the suspended coffee movement, the stories of random acts of kindness around the world were so heartwarming and inspiring.

‘Vibe is a natural wellness, plant-based cafe and restaurant that promotes positivity so the thought of being part of a scheme that encourages kindness within the community was exciting and I definitely wanted to be part of it!’

When reaching out to Vibe, Jane explained that it would create a ‘wonderful sense of community’, especially as people ‘often want to give but don’t know how to’.

Jane volunteered at homeless charity Graih previously for two years and experienced many people being ‘down on their luck’.

‘There are a lot of customers who want to donate and bring revenue to those outlets who are participating,’ she said.

Jane contacted various outlets in the island to encourage them to join the scheme and has created a page called Suspended Coffee IOM on social media.

There are different opinions regarding who should be able to claim the suspended coffee.

Jane says: ‘There’s a woman who thinks only homeless people or those using the foodbank should be entitled to anything free and is talking to charities and cafes about a card system, so that only people with a card can get the free coffee.

‘I do not agree with this as I think suspended coffees should be open to everyone and not have a card system of entitlement.

‘It excludes people.’

A number of cafes and restaurants have already signed up to the scheme.

Find out about which ones are offering this by visiting the Suspended Coffee IOM page on Facebook.