WOMEN with barely-worn shoes lying discarded and unloved in the bottom of their wardrobe are urged to hand them over for a good cause.

Barkers department store in Northallerton is hoping to raise hundreds of pounds for Cancer Research by asking women to bring unwanted shoes in good condition into the store.

The business will then pass them on to the Cancer Research UK shop in Northallerton, to be sold to raise money for the charity.

Women who donate footwear to the Barkers Kind Soles Campaign will receive a £5 voucher to spend on a new pair of shoes from Barkers.

The initiative will be launched on Thursday, October 16.

Managing director Charles Barker said: “Women love shoes and everyone knows someone who has been affected by cancer so we feel that the Barkers Kind Soles campaign will really strike a chord with our customers.”

Val Boasman, manager of the Northallerton Cancer UK branch, said: “I think this is a wonderful campaign and the money we raise from it from the sale of shoes will be vital to the work of Cancer Research.

She added: “All the profits from shops go to research, and at the moment our shop in Northallerton is desperately short of shoes, so we are looking forward to receiving some from Barkers customers.”

The campaign and one-year anniversary of the shoe department opening will be marked with a special event for customers on October 16 between 3pm and 7pm.

People will be able to try food from all the nations Barkers sources its shoes from, including Spanish Tapas and Rioja wine, Italian pizzas and ice-cream and mini toad-in-the-hole for England.