Liverpool charity coffee shop Paper Cup Coffee says ‘forget about Black Friday’ as it launches ‘Sock Friday’ to support its homeless customers over the cold winter months. Tony McDonough reports

Liverpool charity coffee shop Paper Cup Coffee is launching a new initiative to put warm socks on the feet of the city’s homeless people during the cold winter months.

Its message is “forget about Black Friday and instead think about Sock Friday”. This new initiative will see its established ‘pay it forward’ coffee scheme adapted to also add in a free pair of socks thanks to local company, Rise Construction Framework.

Paper Cup Coffee opened in Queen Square in the city centre in February 2022. It was the brainchild of Michelle Langan who, for several years, ran the Paper Cup Project (PCP). Its group of volunteers offered food, clothing and support to rough sleepers.

Michelle saw the not-for-profit coffee shop as a natural extension of PCP’s work. As part of Sock Friday. From Friday, for every customer who buys a pay it forward drink for £3, Rise will match with a pair of new socks to be given out to homeless customers.

This offer will run from Friday, November 29, up to Saturday, December 14. The coffee shop will also be providing Christmas gifts for its homeless customers. These will include chocolate, winter woolies and thermals.

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Customers can purchase gift packages for £5, £10 or £15, which will then be put together by the Paper Cup team and given out in time for Christmas.

Dan Ross from Rise Construction Framework, said: “Paper Cup Coffee provides an important service and we wanted to support their work by encouraging people to buy a pay it forward coffee.

“Rise providing a new pair of socks with each pay it forward coffee will help the city’s homeless stay warm this Christmas.”