|TOP|CAFOD has broken through its own goal to spend more than £50 million in 2005/2006 for the first time thanks to the generosity of ordinary Catholics across England and Wales.

The record-breaking funds – gathered largely through Catholics in local parishes, schools and communities - mean that the aid agency has been able to spend even more this year on helping vulnerable people in the developing world improve their situations.

Spending on CAFOD’s international programmes saw an enormous leap from £26.5m between 2004/2005 to £42.1m in 2005/2006.

CAFOD was also able to expand the financial support for its education, policy and campaigning programmes from £3.9m to £4.8m.

|AD|The spending was boosted by the cost of administering the charity’s essential fundraising and governance work which was only nine per cent for the year, reports The Good News.

Almost three-quarters of the funding raised by CAFOD - £37.7m - came from individuals, communities and school pupils donating directly to the organisation but also through joint appeals made in partnership with other leading UK aid agencies through the Disasters Emergency Committee.

CAFOD received a further £4.6m for its international programmes through other Catholic aid agencies while an additional £7.5m was accumulated through government or institutional donor grants.

The money has helped even more poor people across the world in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe.

Most recently, CAFOD has helped communities survive throughout the droughts in Ethiopia and stave off famine through its partners Action for Development (AFD).