Total income at Cancer Research UK was boosted by £44m last financial year, or 9 per cent, with fundraising income rising to £460m.

The charity's recently released accounts for 2012/13 show that total income now tops the half-a-billion-pound mark, rising from £492.6m in 2011/12 to £536.6m. Fundraising income over the period grew by 6 per cent to reach £460m. This increase in fundraising income over the last year is in contrast to CRUK's performance from 2010/11 to 2011/12 when fundraising income fell by £1m to £432m, and total income rose by just 2 per cent. 

But it was income from charitable activities which grew fastest - up nearly 30 per cent to £75m from 2012’s £58m.

Voluntary income at the charity is still dominated by legacies, which made up over one-third of all fundraised income at £143m. 'Direct giving' was the next-biggest contributor of income with £109m, followed by events which raised £75m. Spend on fundraising in 2012/13 was £150m, nearly identical to the £149m reported in the previous financial year.

Cancer Research UK said in its accounts that nine out of ten donations it receives is for a value of less than £10. The charity has 1 million regular donors, 40,000 volunteers and 600,000 people participated in one of its physical events. CRUK released a re-freshed brand last year in a bid to engage more supporters and donors, and in October unveilled new branding for its flagship Race for Life event. Its latest brand campaign, launched last month, aims to engage yet more supporters, asking for 'one million actions' to be done in support of cancer research. 

The research charity's main capital project, the £650m Crick Institute in London, is still due to open in 2015. The charity set up a board of philanthropists to steer the fundraising for the institute, which has since raised £34m towards the research centre - one third of its £100m fundraising target.

Shop income for Cancer Research stood at £73m for 2012/13. It also recently converted disused petrol station in Suffolk into a drive-through clothing donations point for the convenience of donors, with plans in place to open other stations in locations such as Oxford and Stockport.

Pensions deficit

The CRUK Pension Scheme had a deficit at 31 March of £4m, down from £6m the previous year. A pension deficit recovery plan is in place, which includes a schedule of additional contributions to be made over the next 10 years.

CRUK’s key objectives for 2013/14 include launching a new five-year research strategy, boosting research into rare or hard-to-treat forms of the disease, and promoting cancer prevention.

CRUK holds the number two position in the Charity 100 Index, which ranks UK charities by size. 

Additional reporting by Celina Ribeiro. 

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