Donations to charities at Christmas increased by more than 10%

A new survey shows donations received by charities at Christmas increased last year compared with 2013.

Research by Fundraising Ireland shows income from the general public jumped 10% on the previous year while corporate donations rose 12%.

Irish charities raised on average €1.8m through all fundraising efforts last year - up 6%.

Anne Hanniffy, CEO of Fundraising Ireland, the findings show a rise in trust and confidence in charities also.

"I suppose 14 months ago we did go through difficult times, but I think we've really come through that, and it's great to see the positive outlook in our sector.

"It's great to see that donations are going up … and that the Irish public have confidence and trust in our sector again."

She said the numbers of people donating over the Christmas period shot up from 2,000 to 2,400 on average - which she called "a massive increase".