A new scheme from community groups in the Maldon district has been launched in efforts to better support its ageing population.

The slipper swap is a pilot project organised by the Maldon District Community Voluntary Service (MDCVS) in partnership with the Salvation Army.

The Salvation Army charity shop on Maldon High Street will be the delivery point for the project, where residents can exchange their old slippers for a pair of new ones.

Jonathan Doyle, the captain of the Salvation Army on Wantz Road, said: "The idea is that it will prevent slips and trips at home, which is important for a community with a large number of elderly people - anything we can do to support and assist them is a benefit."

The charity shop on the High Street has been picked as the delivery point, Jonathan said, because it is "central for everybody to access".

He added: "We have a good relationship in and with the community which enables us to reach as many people as possible."

Louisa Steel, community development officer at MDCVS, said the project is also part of the organisation's "commitment to falls reduction as ill-fitting and worn slippers are a major cause of falls in the home for elderly people".

The slipper swap's first event will be held at the Salvation Army charity shop, at 70C High Street, on Saturday 18 September.

It will take place between 10am and 2pm.

It will be held for a second time on Thursday 30 September at Maldon Library, at Carmelite House on White Horse Lane, between 10am and 2pm.