ACCORDING to the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF), profits to the UK's top 500 corporate donors increased by 24 per cent last year.

But their worldwide charitable and community support grew by just 6 per cent in real terms. Giving, by most companies in the top 500 has not grown since 2000.

This, coupled with the fact that charitable giving by the public has fallen as a percentage of GDP, has prompted CAF to lead the UK's first National Giving Week between October 18 and 24.