A SCOUT group has received a £300 grant to fund new lighting.

Members of the 1st Great Lumley Scout Group are seeing the benefits of new LED lighting after receiving the cash from E.ON to upgrade the entrance hall of their building on Front Street.

The old lighting had started to fail, and the replacement LED lights have improved the quality of lighting for all those who visit the hall, which, as well as various scouting sections is used by the local community for other activities.

Group treasurer Helen Linton said: “We’re keen to reduce our electricity bills, and have an ongoing improvement plan to fit double glazing and more energy efficient LED lights throughout the building, but we’re limited to doing it piecemeal, as and when we’ve got the funds.

“It’s great to have the new lighting in place in the entrance hall now, which visitors have already commented on, and we expect to see a reduction in our energy bills as we start to use less.”

The scout group is using the improvement work as an opportunity for all of its members, more than 75 Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and Explorers, to work towards their Environmental Conservation Activity Badges.

It requires them to find out about an environmental issue important to the local community, in this case energy efficiency, and take their findings home with them.

Suzanne Roe, from E.ON, said: “Upgrading to more efficient lighting can offer worthwhile savings on energy use and therefore help to lower bills, as well as improving visibility, which is important to all those using the 1st Great Lumley Scout Group’s hall."