Pay up front and treat a stranger...

Kind-hearted restaurants and cafes have been offering customers the chance to pay for extra drinks and meals when purchasing their own, which can then be given to those in need at a later time.

And in light of the homelessness and poverty crises that have been spreading throughout the North West, members of the Wigan Diggers committee wanted to reward the generous deeds of two Wigan establishments that offer an outstretched hand to the hungry.

The Station Cafe in Wallgate and Big Baps on Market Street, who were the beneficiaries of the cash boosts, followed in the footsteps of Nanny Bea’s Cafe in Orrell, which began its own pay-it-forward initiative shortly before Christmas.

Committee member Joe Taylor said: “The Diggers thought pay-it-forward was an excellent idea, so we decided to contribute.

“We really like to support other people who are in trouble.”

Joe added that the committee was considering offering the same financial incentive to other establishments who started running their own schemes, using the proceeds of the next Wigan Diggers Festival.

“We want to encourage other outlets to do it. It’s a great idea and it doesn’t affect profits either.

“We can’t say for sure we’ll do it, because we don’t know how much money we’ll be able to part with after the festival, but we really want to.”

Pay-it-forward schemes have seen a rapid rise in popularity recently, with many offerings cropping up across the world.

The premise has become so widespread that it has inspired an annual event, which takes place every year in the UK.

Now in its seventh year, Pay It Forward Day invites people to perform random acts of kindness for three or more people, and in turn ask those people to do the same.