Indie music legend and Charlatans frontman Tim Burgess agrees to be a patron of Liverpool homeless charity Paper Cup Project. Tony McDonough reports

Charlatans frontman Tim Burgess becomes patron of Liverpool homeless charity Paper Cup Project (PCP) after stints as a barista in its Paper Cup Coffee shop.

Indie music legend Tim was a founding member of The Charlatans who started performing in the West Midlands in 1988. All of their 13 studio albums have charted in the top 40 in the UK. They have also had 22 top 40 singles. 

Tim came across the work of PCP and then the coffee shop on Twitter (now ‘X’) and was in awe of the work it was doing in Liverpool. In late 2022 he agreed to spend a day at the charity’s coffee shop, Paper Cup Coffee, working as a barista.

Michelle Langan, chief executive of PCP, said, “It’s a dream come true for us to have Tim joining us as a patron. He has been a great supporter, and has really helped to raise the profile of our small charity.

“We love it when he comes in to help out in the shop, bringing together coffee and music royalty for a good cause. We feel very lucky to have him on board.”

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As well as his work with The Charlatans Tim has also performed as a solo artist and is behind the popular online Tim’s Listening Party. He also has several books to his name.

Tim joins acclaimed writer Frank Cottrell Boyce and Liverpool-born TV actor Andrew Lancel who are also patrons of the charity.

Paper Cup Coffee is based at 2 Queens Square, and offers a pay it forward system, where customers can buy food or a hot drink for someone experiencing homelessness.

PCP began as group of volunteers offering food, clothing and support to rough sleepers on the streets of Liverpool on a regular basis.

She saw the not-for-profit coffee shop as a natural extension of PCP’s work. As well as raising vital funds for the charity, it also offers a route to training and employment for homeless people in Liverpool.