A CHARFORD scout group can enjoy improved cooking facilities thanks to Bromsgrove District Housing Association.

The association, which took over responsibility for the town's 3,200 council houses in March, has donated a new kitchen to the scout group in Charford Road.

Charford Scouts have raised £9,500 to enable them to undertake a complete refit and refurbishment of their hut. This has been underway for the past 18 months and includes providing security fencing, central heating, a new roof and a new floor. The hut has also been repainted and decorated.

Richard Lethbridge, finance manager for Bromsgrove Housing Trust, has been working with the 40 scouts, beavers and cubs for the past two years to help them raise funds.

"We have all been working hard to bring the facilities up to scratch, not just for the scouts who use the hut two or three times a week, but also so that it can be rented out to community groups for birthday parties and other functions," said Richard.

Mike Brown, chief executive of Bromsgrove District Housing Trust, said getting involved with the community was important.

"We are committed to improving our customers' homes but also to supporting communities by working in partnership with other organisations on projects such as this."

The kitchen for the hut was from stock no longer being used to refurbish tenants' homes.