THE charitable foundation formed by York shoe retailer Pavers has reached the major milestone of donating £1 million to worthy causes across the UK and beyond.

The family established the Pavers Foundation to honour its late founder, Catherine Paver, who shared a love of horse racing with her husband Michael Paver.

The foundation is an employee-led initiative, dedicated to supporting causes promoting health, education and community.

Stuart Paver, managing director and son of Catherine Paver, said it was fitting the family had celebrated the £1 million mark at York Racecourse on Saturday.

He said: “We first sponsored the Macmillan Charity Race Day at York Racecourse in 2018, right at the start of our foundation’s journey.

“So it’s only fitting that we’ve reached an amazing £1 million in donations here again three years later as our company prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary year. On behalf of our family, we’d like to say thanks a million to our colleagues and customers for your support.”

The £1 million donated so far by the foundation has had a positive impact on tens of thousands of lives across the UK and the world.

The vast majority of the donations go to charities voted for by colleagues working in the business through votes for annual charities and individual grant applications. To see more details of the amazing difference these grants have made to lives, visit www.paversfoundation.co.uk

Pavers headquarters is in York and they have more than 160 shops nationwide.