CCLA manages more UK charity funds than any of its rivals, according to Charity Finance’s Fund Management Survey 2009, and it appears its lavatorial elegance may be a factor in this success.

The story began with revelations in the Evening Standard that rival fund management firm UBS, facing a costly civil lawsuit by a US regulator, had reverted to a lower grade of toilet paper in staff toilets.

No such constraints at CCLA. Director Andrew Robinson responded by sending a cheeky parcel to UBS’ charity clients containing a CCLA-branded box of “environmentally friendly, double ply, luxury loo roll” (pictured).

In a covering letter, Robinson explained that he “saw this piece in the Evening Standard and couldn’t resist offering our help”, adding that he had provided the toilet paper “just in case things get a bit too thin for you at UBS, or you get caught short altogether”.

He went on to urge the recipients to include CCLA on any shortlist when they next review their fund managers, and offered a free asset allocation review for those with “a more urgent requirement to meet”.

UBS did not respond to enquiries.