A CHARITY has finally completed its long-awaited move across Malvern to establish more of a "street presence".

Community Action Malvern and District's switch to 112 Worcester Road, Malvern Link, which was previously used by Lloyds Bank, had been in the pipeline since earlier this year.

Its first day at the new premises is due to be on Friday, November 24 after this week moving out of its Bellevue Terrace base in Great Malvern which had been home since 2001.

Chief officer Kate Walton said: "It's been a long time coming. We are really pleased. It's the start of something new for the future.

"We are moving partly because we recognise we weren't entirely visible in our current premises.

"We've been on the third floor of a town council building in Bellevue Terrace and our lease is due to run out at the end of this year.

"Also we've taken on a project to open up a volunteer centre (Malvern Hills Volunteering) which we felt needed some street presence.

"We've been running it behind the scenes for about a year but it will be much more visible now.

"It was quite a long search for a new place. We finally found somewhere earlier this year and then had some lengthy lease negotiations."

Community Action Malvern and District, which is now 51 years old, has a core of seven staff and more than 150 volunteers.

Its biggest remit is reducing social isolation for older and disabled people in Malvern.

Mrs Walton added: "We have been helped out as a company in Redditch was closing down its offices and donated any furniture we needed.

"So we have been able to furnish the new building and it will just be a case of having the phones and IT transferred over."

The charity operates a wide range of services for local residents, voluntary organisations and community groups in and around the Malvern area. 

This includes three minibuses, a wheelchair access vehicle and car services for various needs, including medical appointments.

Organisers run social get-togethers over tea, film clubs at Malvern Cube, a shopping trip minibus, visits to places such as alpaca farms and men's sheds sharing a range of practical skills, including woodworking, for males and mixed groups.

The charity is also currently adding a smaller electrical vehicle to its transport fleet.

For more details on its work, visit www.communityaction.org.uk.