The Alzheimer’s Society has seen its income increase by 17 per cent, from £70.8m in 2013 to £82.6m in 2014, according to its recently published accounts for the year ending 31 March 2014.

The growth in total income is the result of a rise of almost £7m in voluntary income, an extra £4m on contract income and £1m more from trading and other income.

“We saw this growth particularly in the latter part of the year due to increased interest in dementia and the recognition of Alzheimer’s Society as leading in making a difference,” the chair, Dame Gill Morgan, and chief executive, Jeremy Hughes, note in their introduction to the report.

In 2013 the Alzheimer’s Society began training ‘Dementia Friends’ as part of the Prime Minister’s Challenge on Dementia initiative. Throughout the year 4,500 people trained as Dementia Friend Champions shared their knowledge with 80,000 people.

Expenditure increased from £69.7m to £74.7m with charitable expenditure accounting for £61.2m of this.

In 2014 the charity employed 877 full time members of staff and 1,305 part time. 23 members of staff earned more than £60,000, with one member of staff earning between £130,001 and £140,000.