The Malvern Hills Trust looks after over 1,200 hectares (3,000 acres) of beautiful countryside on the Worcestershire/Herefordshire border. This land includes open hilltops with panoramic views, suburban green spaces, historic commons, woodlands and haymeadows. Find out more about how we take care of this iconic landscape for people and wildlife below.
Looking after
About Us
The Malvern Hills Trust is the new working name of the Malvern Hills Conservators, a body that was first established by Act of Parliament in 1884 to protect and manage the Malvern Hills and the adjacent commons.
We are a registered charity (charity no 515804) with a governing Board of trustees and a team of staff who together work to ensure the Hills and Commons are open for the public, whilst protecting the landscape and heritage of this unique area.
Our Vision
The Malvern Hills and Commons are a stunning, unique and inspiring landscape that is enjoyed and respected by everyone in harmony with rich and flourishing wildlife, natural and cultural heritage.
Our work
We manage approximately 1,200 hectares (3,000 acres) of open grassland, woodland and scrub across the Hills and Commons and we strive to manage this land for the benefit of wildlife, the commoners, the local community and the hundreds of thousands of people who visit the Hills each year.
Our key objectives (as mentioned in our Act’s) are to:
- Preserve the natural aspect
- Protect and manage trees, shrubs, turf and other vegetation
- Prevent unlawful digging and quarrying
- Keep the Hills open, unenclosed and unbuilt on as open spaces for the recreation and enjoyment of the public
- Conserve and enhance biodiversity, Sites of Special Scientific Interest and Scheduled Ancient Monuments on its land.
Occasionally these objectives conflict, and where that happens we aim to find the most appropriate balance between them.
Malvern Hills Acts 1884 (PDF)
Malvern Hills Acts 1909 (PDF)
Malvern Hills Acts 1924 (PDF)
Malvern Hills Acts 1930 (PDF)
Malvern Hills Acts 1995 (PDF)
The land that falls under our care can be viewed on the map above.
Please be aware that this is not a definitive map and should only be used for illustrative purposes.
Please refer to the Land Registry for definitive boundaries or contact the office.
Who we are
The governing Board consists of 29 unpaid members and includes both elected and nominated members.
Eleven of the members are elected directly by the electorate in the parishes and wards that pay the precept. 17 are nominated by local authorities and one is nominated by the Church Commissioners
The Board meets at least four times a year, to consider the reports presented by its committees and officers, to set policies and strategic aims of the organisation and to address questions from the public.
All the Board and Committee meetings are open to the public, except where litigation or financially sensitive matters are involved. If you wish to ask a question of the Board these must be submitted in writing to arrive at the office no later than 12 noon on the Friday prior to the Board Meeting (3 clear working days).
How we work
The Board employs a team of staff under the management of the Chief Executive Officer and they undertake the day to day practical work. Staff are divided into four main teams - Administration, Conservation, Field Staff and the Wardens.
MHT has two key strategic documents that set out the Trust’s aims and objectives for the next 5 years;
- Our Business Plan 2016-2021 sets out the overall strategy and work programme for the development of all aspects of our organisation and its finances. The Business plan is split into three parts - Part A: Identifying Issues, Part B: Delivering Aims and Objectives, and Part C: Work Plan.
- The Land Management Plan 2016-2021 sets out in detail the current and future management of the land that we look after, and in particular how we will protect the key aspects such as wildlife, public access, and archaeology.
In addition there is a set of Byelaws that covers all the land under our jurisdiction and these are policed and enforced by the Wardens and Director.
Business Plan 2016-2021 Parts A and B (PDF)
Business Plan 2016-2021 Part C (PDF)
Land Management Plan 2021-2026
View our Byelaws (PDF)
How we are funded
Last year (2018/19) approximately 41% of our income came from the levy on Council Tax payers from the Wards of Malvern, together with the parishes of Colwall, Guarlford and Mathon. The rest of the costs are supported by income from car parking, grants from outside funding bodies, donations and other fundraising activities.
As a charity, donations and legacies are vitally important to us as they enable us to achieve more than just the basic maintenance work.
There is an Annual Meeting of Council Tax Payers each year at which our accounts are publicly presented. Following this they are lodged with the Charity Commission and published and also are available to view the meeting from the Trust's Office.
The Annual Meeting of Council Tax Payers will be held in November each year. Minutes and further information for the financial year 2017/18 can be found here.
If you have any questions on the Accounts it would be helpful if these could be submitted in writing to the office before the meeting or by email to info@malvernhills.org.uk. You can of course ask questions at the meeting, but if they require further research they may have to be deferred for a written answer.
