|TOP|As Christian Aid prepares for Christian Aid Week, which takes place 14-20 May, the UK-based international relief agency strongly features its newest weapon in fighting against global poverty: a Monty Python-esque machine known as the 'Multiplier'.

The Multiplier goes along with the theme, ‘You add, we multiply,’ meaning that a donation turns into a future.

The theme embraces the idea that together we can make a big difference and that even the smallest donation can grow and achieve real change. They explain that ‘A gift is nice, but a gift that creates more gifts is brilliant’.

Jeff Dale, Head of Marketing, Christian Aid said: ‘We wanted to take a positive, optimistic approach with our advertising for Christian Aid Week to inspire and motivate people to give their time, money and voice to help make a difference.

|AD|Like all good ideas it’s incredibly simple. Whatever goes in gets multiplied. This way poor communities can grow their way out of poverty. We see it as a symbol of hope.”

The Multiplier shows a hen, a goat, seeds and wood going in one end of the machine and lots of chickens, goats, trees and school chairs coming out the other. It aims to demonstrate that by giving enough money to buy a pair of chickens for a family, they can be turned into eggs and more chickens to feed the whole village.

The TV adverts for the Multiplier will launch on 12 May on terrestrial and satellite channels. Colour press ads will appear in national, regional and church newspapers and magazines including the Big Issue, Time Out and NME and an online banner campaign will launch on 8 May. The Christian Aid website will feature an online version of the TV ad.

Visit www.caweek.org to see a cartoon version of Multiplier in action.

Christian Aid Week started in 1957. Last year it raised £14.8 million and around 300,000 volunteers took part in the biggest door-to-door collection using the famous red envelope.