Charity shops in Oxford are booming despite the economic downturn.

An annual report showed Cowley-based charity Oxfam achieved a 5.9 per cent increase in its total revenue for the year ending March 31, with the total increasing to £367.5m.

And takings at the charity’s shops jumped by six per cent, to reach £85.9m.

Jan Tansley is manager of the Oxfam store in Broad Street, the charity’s first shop, which opened in 1948.

She said: “This shop was up five per cent on last year and our music department in the basement did even better, with takings up 21 per cent, which was fantastic.

“The trend is the same for the first few months of the new financial year.

“In a recession, people are more likely to come to a charity shop to seek out a bargain.

“And when they do come in, they quickly realise we are not just putting out any old rubbish.

“People do hang on to stuff longer during a downturn but the quality of the goods we are getting has not been affected.

“We are getting good clothes, homeware and bric-a-brac, and shoppers are starting to realise that they can pick up designer labels for a bargain price.

“It’s a very competitive market so I’m delighted that our takings are up.”

Mrs Tansley, who has worked at the shop for the past 17 years, said its history as the first Oxfam store in the country brought in many visitors.

She added: “Our total number of volunteers has increased in the recession and that helps us to process our donations quicker, which increases turnover.

“That means more money is reaching vital projects in the developing world. And I think there’s a feel-good factor for people who bring in a donation or buy something in the shop – they know the money will be put to good use.”

Oxfam now has 22,000 volunteers across the UK, a workforce that has grown by 10 per cent against a national decline in volunteering.

Its charity shops in Oxfordshire include specialist bookshops in St Giles and Turl Street in Oxford.

During the 12 months to March, Oxfam provided humanitarian assistance to a record 6.5m in people across 31 countries, up from 4.8m the previous year.

This included victims of the earthquake in Haiti and floods in Pakistan.

Oxfam finance director Bob Humphreys said: “We are pleased to report a significant rise in our income levels, ensuring that we can deliver an effective response to global crises.

“Each and every penny counts and that is why we are proud that for every £1 given to Oxfam, 83p goes directly to work on the ground, 10p to support costs, and 7p is invested in fundraising costs.”

David Cryer, head of retail at Helen and Douglas House hospice, which has 33 shops in the region, said the recent opening of several new shops had led to an increase in takings of 10 to 12 per cent. He said: “Core underline growth is about six or seven per cent.”