Cancer Research UK increased its income by £53m in the year to March 2014, a rise of 10 per cent on the previous year, according to its annual report and accounts filed last month.

The accounts show the charity’s income went up from £537m to £590m. Fundraising income – including shops income – rose 6 per cent from £460m to £490m.

The charity also made £95m through charitable activities, largely from its research company, Cancer Research Technology, which increased its licensing sales by 37 per cent to £68m.

In addition to income included in the accounts, the charity also made another £76m from the sale of its research facilities in Lincoln’s Inn Fields.

The charity is currently working on a new £650m facility, the Francis Crick Institute, which it is jointly developing with the Wellcome Trust, the Medical Research Council and three London University colleges.

The institute, itself a registered charity, is expected to be completed next year. CRUK contributed £35m to the building of the Crick in the year, and expects to spend £160m altogether.

CRUK increased its reserves by around £103m to £282m during the year. It said this amount would reduce as the charity put more money into research and the building of the Crick.

The charity paid 195 staff more than £60,000 a year. The highest paid member of staff, believed to be chief executive Harpal Kumar, received between £230,000 and £240,000.

“This was another successful fundraising year for the charity,” Michael Pragnell, the chair of the charity, said in his introduction to the annual report.

“Following a strong performance last year, fundraising again increased by over 6 per cent, supported by an expanded brand campaign. To our many donors and volunteers, I should like to extend warmest appreciation for your most generous support.

“In addition, the financial position of the charity was strengthened by the sale in 2013 of the freehold of 44 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, home to the London Research Institute for the last 60 years.”