AN EMPLOYEE-led charitable trust based in York has given a local cricket club a cash boost, and the money will be put towards purchasing lifesaving equipment.

The Pavers Foundation, founded by shoe retailer Pavers, has donated £1,000 to Clifton Alliance Cricket Club.

Steve Ovenden, executive assistant at Pavers’ head office at Northminster Business Park, applied through the foundation’s employee grant initiative to help the club, in which his daughter plays for.

The grant donation from the Foundation will contribute towards purchasing a defibrillator for the premises, as access to the club is fairly limited this means that lifesaving apparatus will be available in the case of an emergency.

Dave Heartshorne, club chairman, said: “Thanks so much to the Pavers Foundation for this kind donation. With growing numbers at the club, we must take steps to guarantee a safe environment for our members. We don’t receive any external funding and frequently have to find new ways to raise money, which is why we’re so grateful for this donation.”

Clifton Alliance Cricket Club is run entirely by a committee and volunteers. The club is attended by more than 150 children and 50 adults and has a total of 15 teams.

It relies heavily on fundraising and membership fees to fund its upkeep, and regularly holds raffles, beer festivals and quiz nights.

Founded by Catherine Paver in 1971, Pavers established the foundation in 2018 to enable charitable giving by the business and its 1,700 staff. Through the foundation, the amount pledged to good causes by Pavers has risen to £2.5million. Each staff member can put forward causes close to their heart which relate to health, education, or community. Since launching, the foundation has awarded a total of £576,853.