A GUIDE to Great Malvern for people with disabilities or mobility problems is being launched next week.

The guide, aimed at both residents and visitors, is the work of Malvern Access Group.

Jennette Davy of the groups said: "Primarily we were thinking of people with a disability, but many of the areas that we looked at were also relevant to others such as older people or parents with prams or buggies.

"Recent estimates put the collective spending power of the 10 million people in the UK with a disability at over £50 billion a year, and we hope that with improved accessibility, more Malvern businesses can tap into this. Local customers, tourists and traders all stand to gain from an improved awareness of the Disability Discrimination Act."

Guide organisers distributed literature from the Disability Rights Commission to town centre businesses, and follwoed it up with a survey, carried out by a team of volunteers.

Now the guide will be launched on Monday, April 14, at 10am, in Priory Lodge Hall, Avenue Road. It has been funded by the Eveson Charitable Trust, the Community Fund, the Lions Club, Community Action and Malvern Hills District Council.

Copies will be available at the library and the tourist information centre as well as other outlets around Malvern.

Malvern Access Group also hopes to produce a guide for the whole of Malvern. It will approach the Lottery Board for funding, using the town centre guide as evidence to justify a grant. Organisers will also be looking for funding from local sponsors and supporters.