A BOURNEMOUTH man is moving to Malvern to take up the reins of a town charity, the Society for the Assistance of Ladies in Reduced Circumstances.

John Sands, who was in charge of the coastal town's Round Table Children's Wish for four-and-a-half years, takes over over as general secretary from Helen Grahamslaw.

Originally from Shropshire, Mr Sands said: "I'm looking forward to taking up the job and it's a bonus that it's in such an attractive part of the country.

"The Society of the Assistance of Ladies in Reduced Circumstances is one of the largest charities of its type in the country and, even though it has a low profile in Malvern, it's been established for well over 100 years."

The charity is Victorian, established in London in 1886 by Miss Edith Smallwood to help women in crisis.

Chairman of the trustees Norman Clifford said: "The charity has been in Malvern since the First World War when Miss Smallwood got frightened by the Zeppelins and moved here."

She bought Lancaster House, in Hornyold Road, which is where SALRC's office remains to this day.

The charity annually helps around 700 women in financial need because of misfortune and other charities set up to help women, with one-off emergency pay-outs or allowances to supplement small incomes.