The Conversation (0)
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Kiara Keane
Sep 21, 2016
A woman surveys the new polymer £5 note
EPA
The new £5 note has arrived and people have decided to donate their first one to charity to mark the occasion.
The UK’s first plastic banknote, featuring Sir Winston Churchill, was introduced last week and is more durable and harder to counterfeit than paper ones.
John Thompson came up with the idea of donating it to charity and tweeted a poll to encourage others to get involved:
I'll donate the first new five pound note I get to a charity. Will you? #fivergiver— John Thompson - corporate fundraising consultant (@John Thompson - corporate fundraising consultant) 1474064292
It will take a few weeks for the new notes to be introduced to cash machines across the country, though the idea has been gaining popularity:
Lots of people have been using the hashtags #fivergiver and #firstfiver to promote the campaign:
I will be donating my first #newfiver to @childsi - what will you do with yours? #fivergiver #firstfiver https://t.co/qAGo0hEzzT— Richard Sved (@Richard Sved) 1474360348
Love this #firstfiver to charity idea. I will give mine to @FareShareUK who will turn it into 20 meals for people in need. #fivergiver— Dan Nicholls (@Dan Nicholls) 1474463737
Have you donated your first fiver? #FiverGiver Give your first new £5 note to @PTHospice to support hospice care fo… https://t.co/xdSj0RuQ0d— PTHC Corporate (@PTHC Corporate) 1474456944
It’s not linked to any particular organisation, so people have been donating to a charity of their choice.
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