EDP Future50 firm Thirtyone Fundraising is investing in new training as it looks to grow its workforce from 45 to 75 by the end of July.

The fundraising agency, which uses a tele-sales team to seek out new customers for charities, started 18 months ago with just seven staff.

After achieving a first year turnover of £500,000 it is on course to reach £1.2m at the end of year two.

As part of its plans to improve training for new recruits and upskill existing staff it is setting up a dedicated training and recruitment area at its offices in St Vedast Street, Norwich.

Managing director Jonathan Green said: 'We work very hard to recruit and train the right people and I believe that we should focus on retaining them by developing, engaging and valuing them.

'We have and experienced recruitment advisor and external trainer working with us and we've opened up the ground floor to use as a training area. All employees are trained on our time to acquire new skills, increase their contribution to the business and build their self-esteem.'

He said he wanted Thirtyone to be seen as an 'employer of choice and one that retrains rather than churns'.

Founded in November 2012, the company already has international charities Greenpeace, Amnesty International and Operation Smile on its client list along with closer-to-home charities the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) and East Anglian Air Ambulance.

He said the success of their approach could be gauged by the 6,000 new supporters they had found for Greenpeace in just a year.