THREE charities have been given a boost by a builders merchant to mark the opening of its new branch in York.

St Leonard’s Hospice, Macmillan Cancer Support in York and Global’s Make Some Noise campaign have each been awarded £1,000 to support their work in the city and surrounding areas.

On Monday, Selco Builders Warehouse cut the ribbon at the branch in Osbaldwick Link Road, which has created 50 local jobs.

The new branch is the 60th store that Selco has opened in the UK, and to celebrate this milestone, it invited local groups in York to submit an application for its Selco Stars scheme to have a chance of winning £1,000.

Chris Lowry, manager at Selco York, said: “It’s great to be able to further strengthen our presence in the region and open our new branch in York.

“We feel it’s really important to support charities and good causes in the communities in which we operate. It’s a big part of our ethos as a company and we hope the funding will make a real difference to our three worthy causes.”

St Leonard’s Hospice, based in Tadcaster Road, will use the funding to support the services it provides to patients and their families coping with life-threatening illnesses.

Selco’s donation to the York area of Macmillan Cancer Support is in addition to more than £500,000 it has raised for the charity nationally.

The merchant says it is also proud to support Global’s Make Some Noise, which helps youngsters and their families living with illness, disability or lack of opportunity.