WE'RE delighted Clive Richards, chairman of Malvern Theatres Trust, has decided he would like to speak at our public meeting on the future of the theatre on Wednesday, July 24.

There is no one better placed to explain the background to the situation in which the trust now finds itself.

Other confirmed speakers include Nic Lloyd, Chris Bassett, of Malvern Theatre Players, and hopefully Robert Wilson, on behalf of other amateur groups which use the theatre, so there should be plenty of knowledge to draw on.

The Ambassador Group's initial reaction is that it would prefer to conclude its negotiations with Malvern Hills District Council, which has also asked if the meeting could be postponed.

Our feeling is that it is important to debate the principle of changing the management of Malvern Theatres even if some of the detail of the proposals is not available at this stage.

The current uncertainty is making life very difficult for the staff.

To make it clear, our meeting at The Forum is open to anyone with an interest in the future of the theatres, not just Malvern Hills residents.

We believe Malvern Theatres is not like other theatres. Its affinity with volunteers and users is a key element in its success and any future management needs to take this on board.