E.ON, the company behind Kingsnorth and Grain power stations, has awarded 17 community groups in the Hoo Peninsula a total of £32,000 in funding from their £100,000 community investment fund.

The special fund was launched in May last year to celebrate the start of work at the new gas-fired combined heat and power (CHP) station on the Isle of Grain.

Mel Reed, who was awarded £1,500 for the 50th Strood (Hoo) Scout Group, said: "This money will make a world of difference to us as it will allow us to get a mains gas connection to our Scout hut. At the moment we're spending a lot of our money on expensive gas bottles to keep the hut warm.

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"We'd really like to thank E.ON for the donation as it means that more of our funds will be able to go towards resources for the Scouts and also for the other groups from our village that use the hut on a regular basis."

Decisions on the grants are being made by members of a special Local Liaison Committee, which features representatives from local parish councils and members of E.ON's project teams.

Julie Wantling, from Kingsnorth Power Station, said: "The committee are faced with some tough decisions as there are many worthwhile groups that apply, and it's always great to see how even a small grant can make a huge difference, especially to those groups that are just starting up."

The new power station at Grain will be the largest and most efficient station of its kind in the UK. It will generate enough electricity for around one million homes and also displace the emission of up to 350,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year, equivalent to taking around 100,000 cars off the UK's roads.

(CD/JM)