Alzheimer’s Society is spreading hope from supermarket shelves in an innovative new fundraising scheme.

Wooden blocks featuring the word ‘Hope’ will have been displayed on shelves at Thornton’s Budgens stores in Belsize Park and Crouch End, London, since Wednesday this week. Customers have been able to pick them up amongst their usual shopping and take them to the check-out, where the barcode is scanned at a cost of £1. All money raised is being given to the local branch of the Alzheimer’s Society.

Having made its £1 donation at the checkout, the wooden block is then returned to the shelf to be used again. The aim is to target consumers when they are already spending money, but at the same time make the process continuous and more convenient. 

On the back of the wooden blocks, which are made from Forestry Commission approved wood, is a concise explanation of how Hope works: ‘Pay for this at the till. Your £1 goes to help people affected by dementia.’ The Alzheimer’s Society logo is engraved on the blocks and there is also a barcode which can be scanned at the checkout. There will also be explanatory posters used in-store.

Hope will be trialled in these two Thornton’s Budgens stores with the view of expanding the scheme.

"We’re always looking for innovative and quirky new ways to raise money and the Hope initiative does just that," said Alzheimer’s Society community fundraising manager, Jennifer Moseley. "The great thing about this scheme is that shoppers can choose to donate a small but vital amount of money in an easy way, simply by taking the block with the rest of their groceries to be scanned at the check-out."

Alzheimer’s Society is the first charity to sign up to the new initiative by advertising agency JWT London, and the firm hope that more organisations will follow suit.

Joseph Petyan, executive partner at JWT London, said: "We are immensely proud of Hope, an initiative we believe will revolutionise the way people think about making a charitable donation. The aim is for Hope to become a part of people’s everyday lives and something as regular as buying everyday grocery items."

"The campaign has received very positive impact and is increasing in profile all the time - other charities have told us they are keenly monitoring the progress with a view to signing up, and we were mentioned on the Vanessa Feltz BBC London Live radio show this week," a spokesman for the advertising firm added.