When East Coast Community Healthcare (ECCH) heard that a local group of Brownies was struggling financially following the COVID pandemic and a rise in rent at their meeting hall, the social enterprise was only too happy to help.

Receiving an early festive treat, the 1st Gunton Brownies has benefited from a donation of £500 from ECCH to help with the costs.

The group, based at Gunton Baptist Church in Lowestoft, has to pay an annual membership fee of £1,400 to Girlguiding, and has seen a 25 per cent rise in the cost of hall rental over the past year.

However, organisers were keen to avoid raising fees as the cost of living crisis increases financial pressure on families.

The Brownies take part in fundraising events throughout the year, but this does not cover the membership fee and, after months of meeting restrictions during COVID, its funds have been severely depleted.

ECCH - which provides NHS community health services across Norfolk and Waveney with its headquarters based in Lowestoft - has donated the money from its East Coast Support Fund – an initiative which sees the organisation donate up to £1,000 per quarter to local charities and community projects nominated by employees and voted for by its staff Shareholder Council.

The funding application was submitted by ECCH’s senior quality administrator Katharine Apps, who runs the Brownies group.

Katharine said: "We’d like to say a big thank you from the 1st Gunton Brownies.

"This donation will make a huge difference to our funds and will allow us to keep the cost of future activities low.

"That’s so important when living costs are currently so high - especially when we have four sets of siblings in the unit.

"We don’t want to see any parents forced to consider whether their girls can still be part of the group as we have lots of exciting projects lined up for our Brownies and we have a lot of fun together."