A CHARITY formed to help homeless young adults in Malvern has become part of the Festival Housing Group.

Malvern Hills Homeless Young Adults Trust and Festival have secured permission from the Charity Commission for the switch.

MHHYAT will join the Partnership Care Services division of Festival, and the charitable nature of its work will continue to be legally recognised.

Festival commercial director Richard Grounds said the change would not alter MHHYAT's work in any way.

It would, however, give the organisation access to Festival's financial, personnel, IT and management service.

"MHHYAT's activities are those we would want to support and encourage to thrive and develop," he said.

"It's a change in terms of their legal status but not in terms of what happens on the ground. That has not changed at all."

MHHYAT opened its 12-bed Foyer unit in Spring Lane, Malvern, in February 1999. The training and accommodation unit was the culmination of the work of many local people over a number of years to help homeless people aged between 16-25.

Funds came from Malvern Hills District Council, National Lottery and from Elgar Housing Association, which is now part of the Festival group.

MHHYAT chairman Canon Bill Richards, who will sit on the Festival board, said: "We calculate that well over 350 young adults have stayed with us since we began.

"All credit to the late Percy Walton and others who laid the foundation for this success story.

"Now we need more professional resources and we are sure Partnership Care Services has just the human values and skills to continue the work."