Oxfam is the top earning charity in the UK, beating its nearest rival for funds by more than £4m.

The Summertown-based charity earned £89,188,000 in 1996/97 - making it the highest earner among Britain's top 500 fundraising charities, which earned £4.4bn between them in 1996/97.

The next biggest earners were the National Trust with almost £85m and the Imperial Cancer Research Fund with nearly £74m.

Oxfam spokesman Olive Gearing, said: "We have had to work very hard to find different ways of getting income and encouraging donations.

"We've done a lot to provide book banks and clothing banks to make giving easier for people.

"We've been trying to get people to give tax effectively through covenants, which means we can recover tax."

The majority of the charity's money (£37m) came from public donations, with a large proportion coming from the shops (£17m). Oxfam is trying to build up the amount of money it receives from legacies. Most of the money (£71m, or 82 per cent) goes on relief and development programmes with £2m going on administration costs.

The second largest earner, the National Trust, owns Greys Court in Henley and Chastleton House, on the border with Gloucestershire.

The north Thames region made £8.2m with £1.2 coming from public subscriptions and £300,000 from shops, tea rooms and holiday cottages.

Jeremy Bowden, financial controller, said: "Membership is increasing and we have been more successful in attracting legacies.

"This is, to a large degree, because the countryside is under threat and people can leave legacies so we can buy land wherever they want. That is something we can do that other people can't."

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