Research showing the fastest growing charities between 2008-09 and 2012-13 has found that public money is the most common route to large-scale growth.

The figures published by Olof Williamson and Cass Business School in a report called Swimming against the tide: England’s fastest growing charities 2009-2013, identified 101 charities who had incomes of over £1m in 2008, grown this by at least 100 per cent by 2013, and sustained that into 2014.

By looking in detail at these charity’s accounts, Williamson’s research shows that the 101 fastest growing charities in that time increased their total incomes from £498m to over £1.6bn, growing by an average of 293 per cent.

The report also highlights some of the “rapid routes to growth using public funds” included being an academy school provider, providing care and social services under contract with local authorities and taking on major international projects with government departments like the Department for International Development and the United Nations.

Indeed of the top 10 fastest growing charities in the report, two of the top three: the Oasis Charitable Trust and The Ormiston Trust are involved in providing academy schools.

The Oasis Charitable Trust, the fastest-growing charity on the list, grew by 2,402 per cent between 2008-09 and the year ending 2013. According to the charity register it now has an annual income of £271.7m and spending of £156.8m.

Donations or fees from individuals also played a key role in growth for 41 organisations, particularly through giving programmes, social enterprise activities or lotteries. The report also shows that mergers played a key part in the growth of nine separate organisations in the top 101 list.