TWO groups dedicated to the preservation of Malvern's heritage have agreed to pool their energies and resources.

Malvern Spa Association will become part of Malvern Civic Society on June 1, retaining its name and committee as part of the merger and having its chairman and secretary on the Civic Society committee.

Members of the Spa Association will automatically become members of the Civic Society.

Spa Association chairman John Ford said the Civic Society shared its commitment to preserving the area's water heritage, as part of its wider interest in the history of the area.

He said the merger will give the Spa Association broader support as it pushes forward on a major project to refurbish and preserve key spouts and wells around the area, as part of the Malverns Heritage Project.

The association is part of a consortium of local groups involved in the project, preparing a detailed bid for National Lottery funds to support a range of Hills related projects.

"The Spa Association has achieved an enormous amount in a short time and many may ask why change something that is working so well," he said. "The truth is that we have been so totally pre-occupied in achieving our objectives that we have spent next to no time in building up the membership.

"The shortage of members is now inhibiting what we want to do. We could redirect our energies to recruiting but this is a critical time to carry on working on our projects because of the Lottery bid. This arrangement helps us to solve these problems."

Civic Society chairman Katherine Barber said joining with the Spa Association would strengthen its efforts to preserve the water heritage of the town.

"I am looking forward to being chairman of the enlarged society, there is so much we have to offer the Spa Association and I am sure that this will be good for both organisations," she said.