Gary Barlow

Gary Barlow

This Christmas, celebrities such as Cheryl Cole, Gary Barlow and Jason Donovan are urging their fans to remember those less fortunate as they lend their voice to a new charity scheme which will make it easier to give a little something to those who really need it. 

With most of us preferring to use our cards rather than cash, dropping a few loose pennies into a charity box on a shop counter has become a thing of the past.

However, Pennies is a new channel which gives people the choice to round up their bills when they pay by card. The Pennies technology can now be switched on in stores, ranging fr
om high street chains to corner shops, as well as for online and mobile purchases.

"I love the idea that if we could all give a tiny amount of money, loose change really - micro-donations - we really could make the pennies add up to something truly significant," says Gary Barlow, a new supporter of the scheme.

The British public has already made one million micro-donations in just 12 months through Pennies raising over £250,000 from ‘spare change’ for more than 20 UK charities.
Cheryl Cole, who is also excited to be backing the initiative adds that she 'can’t believe that no one had previously thought of this'.

'Now there is an amazing scheme where if you round up the lump sum on your card to £20 instead of £19.99, that penny will go to charity.

'All those pennies can add up to so much money. What an amazing idea and I hope this catches on. I’m in; all my pennies are going to you!'

Jason Donovan is a fan of how easy and quick the scheme will make donating for all of us this Christmas.

'It’s a new technology solution for the old habit of dropping change in the charity box.  I encourage everyone to get behind Pennies and together we can raise millions to help thousands.'