Catholic Aid for Overseas Development’s total income rose by £4.8m to £56m in the year ending 31 March 2015, according to its latest set of accounts filed with the Charity Commission.

Cafod’s total income for the year 2014/15 was £56m, compared to £51.2m in the financial year 2013/14.

Of that figure, £33.9m was generated in unrestricted and restricted funds from individual donations, an increase of £7.3m from the previous financial year.

While the organisation’s income rose, so too did its spending. Cafod's expenditure rose to £53.6m in the last financial year. The greatest increase in the charity’s spending came in disaster relief, where Cafod expended £17.4m on over 100 individual grants.

In a region by region analysis of its spending, Asia and the Middle East saw the biggest rise in grant funding, with 114 grants worth £7.8m being made in the regions. 266 grants were made in Africa, an increase of 38 from 2014, but the total worth of those grants fell by around £300,000 from £15.7m in 2014, to £15.4m in 2015.

In the year ending 31 March 2015 the charity had 461 full-time equivalent staff members at an overall expense of £17m. Along with its 461 staff members, Cafod also relied on the services of some 2,600 volunteers.

Six Cafod employees were paid £60,000 a year or more, one less than in 2014. The highest paid employee was the charity's director, Chris Bain, who was paid £91,423. Pension contributions to the six highest earners at the charity, amounted to £59,803.