BETTER habitats for wildlife, improvements to disabled access, and much-needed repairs to historic structures - all this work and more is carried out by Malvern Hills Trust thanks to people leaving gifts in their wills.

A large section of the hills has been opened up to disabled visitors thanks to one legacy.

For the first time, the Disabled Ramblers are able to complete a loop of North Hill to see the views and visit parts that were once inaccessible by mobility scooter.

Recent improvement works to De Walden Drive which loops around North and Table Hill was completed with the support of a legacy.

This legacy was gifted by a keen walker, whose wish was to ensure that visitors were able to make the most of this landscape.

Beck Baker, the trust's community and conservation officer, said: "The difference that this legacy has made to people’s lives is huge. This gentleman’s support has allowed us to carry out improvements that have opened up a large area of the hills for visitors and local people with disabilities."

One recent gift was donated to the trust by a couple who honeymooned in Malvern in 1955. Later in life, the couple retired to Cirencester and continued to visit the Malverns for walks and theatre visits to the theatre.

Another legacy will be used this year to restore the Belvedere at the Wyche Cutting by repairing and repainting the structure. The shelter and seats were built in 1934 in the memory of Lt-Colonel A H Boulton.

The Grade II listed shelter is a familiar part of the local landscape and offers a resting place for many a weary walker or cyclist.

Thanks to other donations, black poplar trees on the Malvern Hills and Commons are being pollarded, a traditional way of managing trees, to give them the best chance of a long life.

Some of the features of ancient and veteran trees are cracks, hollows and holes that in turn support a huge variety of creatures including bats, birds and a rare invertebrates.

Duncan Bridges, the trust's chef executive, said: "We’d like to take this opportunity to remind people how important charitable giving is and demonstrate some of the amazing things we can achieve with this support."