A publishing house is set to expand in a former listed barn after gaining a cash boost of nearly £30,000.

Worcestershire business Porter and Porter aims to almost treble the number of staff it employs from five to up to 14 in the next five years.

The firm, based near Tenbury Wells, created office, storage and events space at the old barn.

It has taken on three new members of staff since the expansion was completed at the end of last year.

Philip Porter and his wife Julie set up the company eight years ago.

Porter and Porter run two clubs for Jaguar sports car owners and publish Car Club magazines for members.

It also runs two annual events for members who travel to their Worcestershire base from all over the UK and beyond.

And it has recently published the first in a series of twelve books about the career of racing driver Stirling Moss.

The company landed an Advantage West Midlands-backed Redundant Buildings Grant - funded by an arm called the Rural Regeneration Zone - to carry out the expansion work.

And Mr Porter said: "Unlike a new building, where you can start with a clean sheet of paper, with an old building you need to work within certain constraints - not least the amount of regulations that you have to abide by.

In summary, careful planning at the outset is essential."

Chairman of the Rural Regeneration Zone Peter Pawsey said: "Porter and Porter is an excellent example of a thriving twentyfirst century business in a rural location and I'm delighted that we have been able to play a part in its ongoing development."

Redundant Building Grants are available to companies which are based within the Rural Regeneration Zone.

That is an area which covers large parts of Herefordshire and Shropshire as well as wards within Wyre Forest and Malvern Hills in Worcestershire.

And Redundant Building Grants programme manager Caroline Cattle said: "This company had outgrown its current premises.

"The additional workspace that this conversion has created, with the help of a grant, will ensure that this company will stay and grow in Worcestershire, providing new jobs for the area."