A social media campaign is My Sinful Valentine XXXcalling on people to donate their first £5 notes -- which entered circulation last Tuesday -- to charity.

The new polymer fivers, featuring Sir Winston Churchill, are made from a thin, flexible plastic material that is resistant to dirt and moisture, making them much more durable than traditional paper notes.

England joins Scotland, which issued 2 million polymer fivers last year, and Australia which has been, issuing liquid resistant banknotes for decades. 

The campaign was launched by John Thompson, a fundraiser and recruiter, who announced on Twitter that he was going to donate his first new five pound note to charity. He also started a poll on Twitter and created the hashtag #firstfiver, which went viral after being championed by the Institute of Fundraising.

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Charities have used the hashtags to appeal for people to donate their fiver while users have shared pictures of their notes:

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Ceri Edwards, director of policy at the Institute of Fundraising, said: "Sometimes a simple idea shared at the right time can make a world of difference. This shows how inspired people can be from giving a donation to a cause they support."