PERSHORE people are being urged to take the chance to have their say at a public forum next week.

The Pershore Matters meeting will be held at St Agatha's Hall in Head Street on Tuesday.

Over the past 12 months, county councillors for the area have chaired a series of open public meetings known as the Pershore Area Forum.

"The meetings have been staged at various venues in and around the town, courtesy of parish councils, and they have provided a unique opportunity for local people, parish council members and other agencies to get together and discuss common issues," said a spokesman for Worcestershire County Council.

Some of the topics discussed to date include crime and policing, a pilot "one stop shop" which is actually a mobile library service equipped with IT, supporting rural life, and problems faced by young people in the Pershore area.

Top of the agenda at next week's meeting, which starts at 7pm, will be a presentation on the future development of the South Worcestershire Primary Health Care Trust by Judith Phillips, chief officer for Wychavon Primary Care Group.

She will explain how the new Trust will affect patients living in the area and invite the audience to a series of workshops which are planned to give people the chance to have real influence on how health care is provided locally in the future.

Organisers say the Safer Routes to Schools programme will also feature on the agenda after requests from Pershore people.