First fiver: How a single tweet kick-started a fundraising campaign

A social media campaign in the UK is inspiring people to donate their first new £5 notes to charity.

The campaign evolved after John Thompson, a corporate fundraising consultant from Hertfordshire, posted a tweet pledging to give his first new fiver to a good cause, and asking his followers if they would too.

John told BBC Trending that he had the idea after reading about the introduction of the new polymer notes - which were launched in England and Wales last week.

"People were being really negative about the new design, and I just thought charities would be more than happy to have them - that's where the idea came from."

Charities have been quick to jump on the hashtags #firstfiver and #fivergiver to appeal for donations, while social media users are tweeting photos of their first new fivers and talking about the causes they have chosen to give them to.

"There's a novelty factor attached to the new fiver," John Thompson told BBC Trending.

"I've heard of people donating them to all sorts of causes, from a guinea pig rescue centre in the Channel Islands, to mental health charities."

Not everybody is so keen on parting with their new currency. In a Twitter poll posted by John more than 60% of respondents said they would not be donating their first new style fiver. But John is encouraged that more than 30% said they would give.

A total of 440 million new £5 notes have been printed. They are said to be able to withstand a spin in the washing machine, be harder to counterfeit and are expected to last an average of five years.

But the man whose tweet kick-started this fundraising initiative, is still undecided about who he'll give his first fiver to.

"Like most people generously donating their #FirstFiver, I'll be letting my heart decide."

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