The group has been given a four figure boost

Young members of a thriving Doncaster scout group are enjoying a brighter view of their surroundings with the help of a four-figure grant from the community fund linked to a nearby wind fund.

The 28th Doncaster St Edmunds Scout Group has used a £3,000 grant from the Marr Wind Farm community benefits fund to replace the failing strip lighting at its scout hall on Anchorage Lane in Sprotbrough with a brand-new LED lighting system throughout the WWII-era prefabricated building.

The work was carried out by local contractor Thorpe Electrical, with the grant also paying for new floodlights to be installed outside the building which allow the scout group members to safely use the adjacent tables and fire pits during the hours of darkness.

The installation of the new LED lighting follows on from other improvements that the Group has recently made at the hall, including a new roof, a new boiler and an internal redecoration.

And it is now hoping that the improvements will encourage more local people and groups to book the hall for their events and activities.

The 28th Doncaster St Edmunds Scout Group draws more 70 members from right across the local area and is run by a team of eight leaders and other volunteers.

It is also one of the few scout groups in the area to run a Squirrels section for 4-6 year-old children, which then leads onto its Beavers, Cubs and Scout sections.

The community benefits fund linked to the Marr Wind Farm, which is owned by leading independent renewable energy producer ERG and managed by OnPath Energy, provides around £12,000 of funding for local good causes every year.

Paul Ingamells, volunteer leader with the 28th Doncaster St Edmunds Scout Group, says: “With an old building like our headquarters, there’s always a lot to do to keep it in good shape and we’ve been trying to make improvements wherever we could afford them.

“The old lighting was becoming an increasing issue, as many of our rooms were too dimly lit, several of the lighting tubes has stopped working and the environment wasn’t very welcoming.

“Having had to invest significant amounts of money on other parts of the building recently, we were struggling to afford to get the lighting upgraded until we were awarded the Marr Wind Farm fund grant and it’s really made a terrific difference to everyone’s experience of the building.

Environmental and community projects which are interested in applying to the Marr Wind Farm community benefits fund should first contact the fund manager on 0191 378 6342 or via [email protected]to confirm that their group or project is eligible.