MALVERN Civic Society is always ready to welcome new members, says the group's incoming chairman Clive Hooper.

Mr Hooper, who was the group's secretary before becoming chairman, has lived in Malvern for 12 years and has worked in higher education, in local government, and in the regulatory sector.

He said: “We always welcome new people who are interested in joining us, either simply to enjoy our events and meet others, or even to volunteer a little help.

“One of the main aims of the society is the preservation and protection of the town’s heritage and its important buildings. We have a proactive interest in town planning, local railways and railway furniture, and we work to secure funds for repairs too, such as the Jenny Lind memorial in Great Malvern Cemetery. "

The group holds monthly meetings in Christ Church, Avenue Road, and raised money for its roof appeal with a concert held in December.

"As a result, we were recently able to hand over £549 from that event, bringing our total contributions to the church funds to over £4,600 since 2010,” said Mr Hooper.

“We offer countrywide trips as well as opportunities for local visits and walks. Scheduled town guided walks on Saturday and Sunday mornings are conducted by Malvern Civic Society guides from April to September each year,” he said.

Anyone interested can find out more by coming to the monthly meetings or visiting malverncivicsociety.org.uk. The next meeting is on Friday February 14, at 7.30pm.