A LOCAL charitable trust has donated £5,000 to a charity close to one of its employee's hearts.

Pancreatic Cancer UK is among the first wave of good causes to receive a grant from The Pavers Foundation, which was set up by family-owned shoe retailer Pavers.

Lisa Mcilroy, ladies buyer at Pavers head office in York, applied for the grant.

In October 2017, her sister, Zoe Bradley, was diagnosed with cystic carcinoma of the pancreas at the age of 42, despite feeling fit and leading a healthy lifestyle.

Zoe said: "The charity's website really helped me understand my diagnosis, but more importantly, it made me feel less on my own.

"I was able to speak to a trained professional who gave me invaluable help and advice.

"Reading about other patient's experiences put my own into perspective and, through the website, I hope I have also helped others with my personal experiences."

The donation from The Pavers Foundation will help fund one month of life-saving research.

Laura Howard-Jones, from Pancreatic Cancer UK, said: "Over the next five years we want to double the number of people surviving pancreatic cancer.

"We will do this by investing in the research that we believe will have biggest impact in patients and also deliver the best return on investment.

"In the coming years, we will fund research to find ways to diagnose patients faster, to develop better, more effective drugs and to ensure that everyone receives the best possible care."

For more information visit pancreaticcancer.org.uk

Pavers established its foundation in 2018 to enable charity giving by the business and its 1,700 staff.

Every member of staff has the opportunity to nominate a cause in the local area,

Through the foundation, Pavers has pledged £2.3m to good causes, with a total of £73,800 being awarded to the first round of 25 applications.