A SOCIETY that works for the future of Evesham and its surroundings is hoping to attract younger members - to make sure that it too is in good shape for years to come.

The Vale of Evesham Civic Society, which was founded in 1973, currently has more than 140 members, but chairman Brian Barry said more - particularly younger people - were always needed.

Mr Barry described the aims of the society. "They are to stimulate interest in Evesham and surrounding villages, to promote the standard of planning and architecture and to secure the preservation, protection, development and improvement of features of historic interest.

"We basically keep an eye on everything - we watch what's going on around us and gather information wherever we can."

One of the main ways the society achieves this aim is by keeping an eagle eye on all the planning applications submitted to Wychavon District Council.

"We go through these very carefully looking for items of interest and sometimes the council will ask us for our opinions directly."

Members hold regular meetings to scrutinise and share information about the town but they also organise social events. Trips are arranged to historic towns such as Burford, Henley-in-Arden and Droitwich, which are an opportunity to enjoy a day out while sharing ideas with other civic societies.

The society also puts on exhibitions and displays to encourage public interest in the town. "At this month's medieval fair we had a stall showing some of our ideas for improvements to various parts of the town and some of the past projects we had a hand in - such as the pedestrianisation of the town centre and the creation of the bypass."

One of the recent improvements that the society can take credit for is the preservation of the Old Town Quay, off the bottom of Port Street. The quay was built when river traffic was central to the economic life of the town and the Avon was one of the primary routes in and out of Evesham. "It fell into disuse about 50 years ago and gradually became overgrown and full of rubbish," said Mr Barry.

"About ten years ago there was a planning application from a nearby landowner to build on it. We got wind of this and managed to turn up some old records to prove that it was a public area - so the building was prevented and the public access to the river preserved."

He added that the project, completed last year, was just the latest in a series of successes.

"A lot of the things we have spent years pressing for have come about now - there are not many left.

"One that we are working on now is to help 'reclaim' the streets for people. One of the aims is to clean up a lot of clutter on the street scene - such as unnecessary railings like those around the bus station and superfluous road markings and signs.

"Another thing we are very keen on is trees - we are keeping a very beady eye on those we have and we think there should be more."

The society is affiliated to the Civic Trust, which represents similar groups across the country, and the West Midlands Amenities Societies Association, a regional association for small historic towns and villages.

Mr Barry said that like a lot of other groups, the society was facing some difficulties maintaining its level of membership.

"We get a steady flow of members but - of course - we are all getting older. We do have a problem getting interest from younger people.

"These are who we should be attracting. It is so important that they take an interest in their surroundings to see that they don't deteriorate or that certain features don't disappear."

For information about the society call Mr Barry on 01386 442962 or visit www.eveshamcivicsoc.org.