Scouts across Suffolk will now be able to enjoy more water-based activities after receiving a grant of more than £7,000 for new equipment.

The grant, from CDS Action, has been used to buy new two-person kayak canoes for use at Lackford Lakes, one of Scouting in Suffolk’s bases for water activities.

The canoes will be used by young people from across the county for enjoyment, activities, and training sessions to improve confidence and life-skills.

CDS-CiC provides community dentistry services across much of central and eastern England, including Suffolk.

As a social enterprise, surplus is reinvested back into the support it provides for patients or into community health and well-being projects through an employee-led charity CDS Action.

Since 2012, £175,000 has been donated with other recent Suffolk grant beneficiaries including the East Anglian Air Ambulance and St Elizabeth’s Hospice.

Amy Schiller, operations director for Suffolk, said: “Through CDS Action, it is fantastic that we are able to give grants to support health and well-being initiatives that directly benefit people in Suffolk going beyond our core remit of dentistry and oral health.

“We are really pleased that these funds have purchased equipment that will allow even more young people to take part in positive, life enhancing new activities.”

Leigh Foster, assistant county commissioner (Water Activities), said:”The grant from CDS Action has enabled us to provide a wider range of adventurous activities for young people in scouting, building their confidence, their risk awareness, their leadership skills and their team working skills, thereby equipping them with skills for life.”