Church of England parishes across the Malvern and Ledbury area will be updating their records this month as they bring their electoral rolls up to date.

Listing all the adults who attend church in a particular parish, the electoral rolls are updated every six years to keep abreast of population changes and movements.

"It's a sort of church census," said Nicola Currie, communications officer for the Diocese of Worcester.

"Being on the roll enables you to become a member of the parochial council and get married in the church. It allows you to vote in elections for the deanery, synods and eventually General Synods.

"If you're on the electoral roll, you can go to the priest and ask to get married. If you're not on the roll, it's not as straightforward."

The review will enable churches to gauge the size of their congregations.

"It's a good indication of how many regulars in the congregation you have," said Ms Currie. "It's helpful for parishes to see the changes. For example, if there's a big new estate in a parish, the electoral roll shows how popular the church is."

This year's survey features a question on ethnicity for the first time, included after agreement at the General Synod.

Responses to this question can be kept confidential.

The electoral roll also allows the Church to organise its budget.

Anni Holden, who is director of communications for the Diocese of Hereford, said: "Every few years we get people to sign up again so we can assess how much that parish will pay to the church."

Forms will be issued to those already on the electoral list. Anyone who does not receive a form who wishes to register with their local church should contact the church's vicar. The deadline is April 30.