Alpha Friends

More than a million Britons who haven't done Alpha are interested in attending a course - if they can find out more information about it.

That is the astonishing finding of a new poll conducted by research organisation Ipsos MORI in October.

The poll also found:

• More than five million people in Britain - 11 per cent of adults - have either been on an Alpha course themselves or know someone who has.
  
• Around 11 million British adults - 24 per cent of the population - can identify Alpha as a Christian course. This is three per cent up on last year and the biggest percentage ever.
  

The question in the survey which revealed the high level of interest in Alpha asked, 'From what you have heard or what you know about the Alpha course, which of the following, if any, best describes your level of interest in it?

Of those who had heard of Alpha, 10 per cent said, 'I'm interested and would like to find out more' or 'I'm interested and have tried to find out more'.

The research followed the success of the national poster initiative and thousands of local church events in September.