A charity offering weekly sing-alongs to boost mental health and wellbeing in the Ashby area and beyond now has greener credentials - thanks to the use of an electric vehicle.

Faith charity Without Walls, based in Stanton-Under-Bardon, runs weekly singing cafes in Coalville and Ashby as well as Shepshed, Melton, Wigston and Loughborough.

Alongside the cafes, the organisation also provides help with transport for the community, with volunteers and staff regularly travelling across the county to run sessions and support people.

Having a keen eye for reducing their impact on the planet, the charity looked to invest in a greener mode of transport.

With the help of a £500 Zero Carbon grant from North West Leicestershire District Council, Without Walls now leases an electric car.

Catherine Henderson, from Without Walls, said: "We are a faith charity interested in people and our world, and we want to look after it.

"We are getting bigger, and we want to do more of these in different places as we've grown over the last year.

"We use the car across the county.

"The amount of money I was spending on petrol, the harm to my personal car and to the environment, it made getting the electric car a no-brainer."

Catherine no longer uses her 2.7 litre diesel-guzzling car for work, swapping it for a brand new electric MG5 EV estate, with plenty of space to carry all the equipment needed for the singing cafes.

To reduce costs further, she has also installed an electric charging point at home, charging overnight.

She added: "We didn't want to spend more than travel was already costing us. With the lease, insurance and charging, we break even so it's really cheap.

"I've got a grandchild now and it really focusses the mind when you think of them.

"In my lifetime I have noticed a huge difference in the seasons. There are issues across the planet, if everyone plays their part we will make a difference."

Zero Carbon Grants for environmentally focused projects are available from between £50 and £500 for community projects.

For more information and to apply for a Zero Carbon Grant, click HERE.

Councillor Andrew Woodman, NWLDC Portfolio Holder for Community Services, said: "As part of our Zero Carbon roadmap we are making changes to how we work to reduce the impact on the planet, so it's great to see how other community groups are looking at what they can do too.

"Our Zero Carbon grants provide a helping hand to groups looking to make small changes that have a big impact, and I am pleased the funding has supported Without Walls to continue to offer their travelling services, while reducing their carbon footprint."