UK Power Networks has donated £250 to a cricket club in Brighton.

Mathew Score, a project designer in Connections at the firm, applied to his employer for a Team Sport Award to replace nets and kit at The Alternatives, a social cricket club.

The club meet at Wish Park, Hove and East Brighton Park, Kemp Town on Saturdays and Sundays throughout the season and net indoors at Hove and Sussex Cricket Ground in the winter.

The team goes on tour in Suffolk every summer and play other social teams in and around Brighton and Hove.

Mathew, who works in Stephenson Way, Crawley, said: “The money makes a big impact to a small club like ours, where funding is limited to subscriptions.

“Every time we need something new we have to have a whip round and for a club with a small group of members it puts a burden on the players.

“The money will pay for general items we need as the season progresses, when things break and need replacing.

“It will certainly contribute towards the cost of new kit.

“It gives the club a little buffer for our unforeseen expenses.

“The support makes a big difference in times of austerity because nobody has huge amounts of spare cash.

“It also encourages more young players to get involved in the club as we can let them play for free.”

The Team Sport Award scheme is run by UK Power Networks to encourage staff to volunteer in the community and is aimed at promoting healthy living, teamwork and development of sporting opportunities.

Hundreds of community and sport groups have benefited from grants since the scheme was set up.

Last year £15,500 was donated to sporting groups connected to UK Power Networks’ staff.

UK Power Networks is the country’s biggest electricity distributor, making sure the lights stay on for more than eight million homes and businesses across London, the South East and the East of England.