The Charities Aid Foundation distributed £478m to charities on behalf of donors, an increase of £35m on the year before, according to its annual report for the year ending April 2015.

According to a statement this was a "record breaking" year for the charity.

Major givers contributed £156m, up from £131m last year. Donations made through CAF Charity Accounts held steady at £100m which can be opened by anyone and donations made through corporate accounts saw a slight increase to £81.9m.

The amounted donated through its payroll giving scheme, Give As You Earn, was £70m, which was £7m less than the previous year.

CAF claimed £25m on behalf of its major donors and regular givers over the course of the year.

John Low, chief exeucitve of CAF, said: “Charities have not escaped the consequences of global economic conditions, and as a result have had a difficult few years during which demand for their services has risen steeply. It has never been more important to encourage people to give and to maximise the impact of their generosity.

“Over the next 12 months CAF will continue striving to encourage people to give ever more generously and effectively to good causes.”

Overall CAF Group income for the year was £467m and expenditure was £448m.

The accounts reveal that in April 2015 CAF relinquished control of its Australian subsidiary at a cost of £2.5m.

The highest paid member of staff earned between £170,000 and £180,000. The year before the highest paid member of staff earned between £160,000 and £170,000. There were 30 members of staff earning more than £60,000. CAF employed 475 full-time equivalent people.