ARTISTS are rallying to the cause of Malvern Hills Homeless Young Adults Trust.

The trust is planning a repeat of its fundraising calendar for next year after the 2000 effort sold 2,000 copies and raised more than £6,000.

The money helps support its Foyer project, a training and accommodation unit for local homeless and disadvantaged people in Spring Lane.

Artists have agreed to submit landscapes for an exhibition at the Sir Barry Jackson Room, Grange Road, Malvern, next week.

Bobbin Martin, of the Lyttelton Gallery, and Ros Rowberry and Avril Spickernell, leading figures in last year's Visual Arts Festival, will have the job of selecting work to be used on each page of the calendar.

Visitors to the exhibition - on Saturday and Sunday, March 10-11, from 10am to 4pm - will be asked to name their three favourites and help the judges make their decision.

Works will also be available for sale, although anyone buying a painting selected for the calendar will not be able to take possession until after it is printed.

Lady Morrison, of Madresfield Court, will officially open a preview of the exhibition, attended by artists and MHHYAT supporters, next Friday evening.

Project organisers are now turning their attention to raising funds to pay for high quality production of the calendar and have appealed for donors to sponsor a page in return for an acknowledgement.

Any organisation interested, should ring Mary Blackshaw on 01684 892203.

n The final results of the MHHYAT sleep-out have now been announced, with the event raising £5,259.71. Fundraisers volunteered spend a cold December night sleeping out in the grounds of Malvern Priory.

"This is a fantastic result and our thanks go to all who braved the elements and our sponsors, Elgar Housing, Automated Packaging and Somerfield," said spokesman Irene Cass.

n Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer with MHHYAT is invited to an open evening on Wednesday (March 7), from 8pm to 9.30pm, at the Foyer. Support is needed in areas like fundraising, transport, befriending, teaching literacy and numeracy, DIY and gardening. For more information, call Sally Helder on 01684 568777.