A CHARITABLE trust founded by York-based shoe retailer Pavers has given a cancer charity a huge cash boost.

The Pavers Foundation, founded by family-owned shoe retailer, Pavers, has donated £62,500 to Macmillan Cancer Support, after staff nominated it to be their charity of the year.

Launched in July 2018, The Pavers Foundation was established to share Pavers’ success through charitable giving to causes close to the hearts of its 1,700-strong staff.

The charity of the year initiative, which is part of The Foundation’s activities, involved staff in the head office and across Pavers 169 stores voting for their favourite charity from a shortlist of four.

Wishing to show support to its three runner-up charities, The Foundation donated £2,500 to Brain Tumour Charity, Children with Cancer UK and Barretstown.

Macmillan Cancer Support provides specialist healthcare, financial support and information to cancer patients and those directly affected including carers and family members.

Through The Pavers Foundation’s donation, 2,232 Macmillan nursing hours will be funded to help care for those affected by cancer across the UK.

Claire Singlehurst, director of relationship fundraising at Macmillan Cancer Support, said: “We are delighted that The Pavers Foundation has chosen Macmillan as its first charity partner, and we want to say a massive thank you for its support and to all the staff who voted for us.

“At Macmillan we want to help everyone with cancer find their best way through, from the moment of diagnosis and with the support of companies like Pavers, together we can achieve our goal.

“We are very much looking forward to working with The Pavers Foundation, and are excited to see what the partnership brings.”

Stuart Paver, managing director of Pavers said: “The Pavers Foundation was created to allow Pavers employees across the region to help make a difference to causes close to their hearts.

“The support that Macmillan provides to those affected by cancer is second to none, and we are delighted that The Foundation will help fund much-needed Macmillan nursing hours.”

The Press reported last month that work has started on building a new £4 million distribution warehouse extension for Pavers in York, which will allow the company to double in size.

The warehouse is situated on the Northminster Business Park at Upper Poppleton, where the head office for Pavers is also based.

Construction company Harris CM, which is based in Pontefract, has secured a contract for the project, and work has started on site.

The extension will be 4,400 m2 when complete, with work scheduled to finish early in 2020.

Pavers Ltd, also known as Pavers Shoes, is a family-owned footwear business operating in the UK and Ireland. Established by Catherine Paver in 1971.