The head of a cancer charity is to step down after almost two decades in the job.Gavin Arton, the chairman of Pals hopes his retirement will help the charity evolve.He said: “Basically, I think it’s time for some fresh perspective. “Pals is an amazing organisation, it’s going along at a good pace, but I have been there for a long time.“There’s never a good time to step away, but this seemed like the right time for me.”Mr Arton, 69, will remain as chairman until a successor is found to make sure there was a smooth transition.He first became involved with Pals after a chance meeting with Ann Smith Gordon, a former chairwoman of the charity, in 2000.Mr Arton added: “I had known her for ever — she used to teach tennis — and she had been running Pals since 1981.“She saw me in the street and asked me what I did for my free time. I told her I didn’t have any free time, but she asked me if I could help out on their management committee.”He said the construction of the Pals headquarters on Point Finger Road was one the highlights of his career with the charity. And Mr Arton said he was overjoyed to see the impact the charity has had on families affected by cancer.He said: “We get these wonderful letters from people thanking the team for what they have done for their loved ones.“It’s not just the patients that we help. Quite often the patients know exactly what is going on, but the families are confused and need a helping hand and that’s what our team does.“Right now, I am particularly proud of the team that we have built — we have a great executive director, medical director, a great team of nurses, a great social worker and a big pool of fantastic volunteers.”