A GAS firm celebrated its 20-year presence in the Thurrock community by raising £15,000 for charity.

Econogas has been maintaining gas appliances in Thurrock’s council homes since 1994.

During that time, it has raised more than £70,000 for local charities – and so there was no more fitting way to celebrate than to get out on the Langdon Hills golf course and raise even more money for St Luke’s Hospice and the Thurrock Community Chest.

“It was a great day,” said Econogas director and cofounder Chris Griggs.

“We had 18 teams of four take part on the day and were very grateful to have staff from NatWest and the Royal Bank of Scotland give up their time to help with organisation of the day.

“They had to make sure no one pretended they had got a hole-in-one when they hadn’t.

“In the evening, we had 110 people there for dinner and presentations. We raised £15,119, which was the most we’ve ever done in a single year.”

Econogas formed in 1994 when British Gas stopped doing social housing contracts.

The firm successfully tendered for the contract then and has never looked back, servicing and maintaining gas appliances in Thurrock’s 10,000 council homes ever since.

Over the years, the gas safety company has made a significant contribution to the Thurrock economy.

It currently employs 44 people – with most of those living in the borough – and over the last two decades has taken on and trained 19 local school leavers, with one now at senior management level.

Econogas also has two female gas engineers on its books and has retrained three fomer Armed Service personnel after they retired from the forces, while also taking part in various back-to-work schemes.

Mr Griggs added: “We also purchase and spend a lot in Thurrock.

“Last year alone, we spent between £1.5million and £2million in Thurrock on local supplies.”