join activities and find homes -- if a new charity can get enough volunteers.

Creative advertisements, run by the Eliza DoLittle Society, such as "Are you too lazy to help the homeless?'' have been grabbing people's attention all week.

The small charity called their own ads "cheeky'', before declaring they needed to grab people's attention.

Another ad, which did not run, was a picture of a tattered sock full of holes.

It read: "For some people, it's always a holy week''.

Society secretary and treasurer Tony Forster said the daring ads attracted people's attention and he wanted to get at people who do not help the community.

The Society held a meeting at the Anglican Cathedral in an effort to recruit volunteers to achieve their goals.

One such goal is to pair a homeless person with a volunteer who would help the homeless person re-establish themselves in society.

"In the long term, we are working with Government to provide more single-room accommodations for people who don't like sleeping in the community setting such as the Salvation Army,'' said Mr. Forster.

"People need to have somewhere to call home and that's what we're out for,'' he added.

He said further long-term goals include helping the homeless to be "a little cleaner, little more self-respecting, drink less and take no drugs''.

Mr. Forster said the Society was formed when the outspoken community activist Charles Spanswick approached the group.

"He decided he didn't want to see people begging on the street in front of the tourists,'' said Mr. Forster.

"We told him there was more to it than that and we formed the Society.''.

The Society has been largely quiet since being formed in August 2000, but Mr.

Forster said they were quietly gathering information about homeless people and how the charity could compliment the ongoing efforts of other organisations.

"Actually, when you called we were having a meeting with people from FOCUS.

It's about being complimentary and not competition,'' he said.

Other information-gathering events included a free lunch for 45 homeless people, during which the Society interviewed them.

"Other things we're doing is opening up the opportunity to enter things like the Grand Art Festival by the Sea.'' The Society has invited homeless people to enter the festival and offered to foot the bill for the art materials. It has also begun a free gardening class at the community garden on Trimingham Hill. Mr. Forster revealed that other initiatives could see the homeless become skilled tradesmen. He said that talks are planned with training organisations with a view to providing education to the homeless in trades such as metal and woodwork.