David Wells reports on a new initiative encouraging diners at some of the best restaurants in town to help the homeless.

"Spare some change?" is a familiar request on the streets of Brighton and Hove.

No reasonable human being likes stepping over someone forced to live on the streets, especially on a freezing night.

With police reporting that up to a third of homeless people spend their donations on drugs, giving cash to them is often not in their best interests.

Most people get tired of being asked for cash and sometimes feel intimidated but with homeless support groups now estimating there are more than 50 rough sleepers in Brighton and Hove on any one night, it is not surprising they will get asked over and over again during their walk home after a meal.

In the months leading up to Christmas, the plight of the disadvantaged, spurned and forgotten, becomes even more poignant.

A new charity initiative, being introduced in Brighton and Hove next month, will allow diners to leave a restaurant with the reassuring knowledge they have at least done something to help the homeless.

The Argus has teamed up with StreetSmart, an annual charity initiative in support of the homeless being introduced to the city for the first time this year, following its success in London, Bristol and Bath.

Its methods of raising money are simple. Restaurants are approached with the proposition that they add a voluntary £1 per table charge on their customers' bills.

It costs the restaurants nothing and customers can simply ask not to pay the £1 if they do not want to.

StreetSmart schemes elsewhere in the country have proved customers rarely complain.

It is a small donation but the money soon adds up and last year, the charity raised more than £240,000 in England.

Every penny was distributed to charities, hostels and projects that bring comfort and a push towards self-sufficiency for the homeless.

Restaurants signing up to StreetSmart 2001 get the added advantage of being in the charity's publicity, showing they have supported the cause.

Alison Ali and Charlie Bridge, co-ordinators of the Brighton and Hove StreetSmart 2001 campaign, have written to scores of restaurants across the city asking them to take part.

The Argus has also been encouraging restaurants to take part and will publish a list of all those which join the initiative.

Alison said the charity chose to target Brighton and Hove because the city was known to have a significant number of homeless people.

She said the charity aimed to launch the initiative in places where it could do the most good.

She said: "StreetSmart provides a chance for restaurants and customers to come together as a community and do something important for people who are struggling to get their lives back on track."

The initiative has a clear mission to plough thousands of pounds into Brighton and Hove charities that help the homeless.

The charity is dedicated to helping those who, often through no fault of their own and perhaps for social or psychological reasons, live on the street.

It not only funds charities that deal with the short-term needs of people living rough, such as food, but it also supports charities that focus on the next stage of getting people's lives back together.

A lot of the money raised goes to charities with long-term homeless projects, such as those which focus on health, helping people find a job and eventually paying the rent.

The aim is not only to support people who are suffering immediate difficulties of finding shelter but also to discover why they were made homeless in the first place.

Last year, The Argus launched a Don't Give To Beggars campaign after reporting that residents were inadvertently putting money into the pockets of drug dealers by giving money to homeless people.

It followed a survey which showed more than a third of beggars admitted spending donations on heroin.

The campaign, which was a resounding success, was designed to channel money into charities and support services that help the homeless.

This year, the StreetSmart campaign makes it really easy for people to do just that.

They do not even have to look up the addresses of the charities.

All they have to do is give their £1 to the restaurant each time they eat out during the run-up to Christmas.

StreetSmart will collect the donations and pass them on to established organisations which work tirelessly to improve the lives of those struggling with homelessness.

No decisions will be made on which charities are to receive the money, as this will depend on how much is raised during November and December.

Among the potential groups to get StreetSmart funds are: The YMCA, East Street, Brighton; St Patrick's Hostel, Cambridge Road, Hove; Emmaus, Drove Road, Portslade; Equinox, 62-63 Old Steine, Brighton; First Base, Montpelier Place, Brighton; Brighton User Group, Queen's Road, Brighton; Addaction, St George's Place, Brighton; Crossover Christian Outreach, Brighton; Direct Access Hostel, New Steine Mews, Brighton; and Halo at Upper Bedford Street, Brighton.

Restaurants which have joined the scheme already include: Terre a Terre in East Street, Brighton; Saucy in Church Road, Hove; English's Oyster Bar and Seafood Restaurant in East Street, Brighton; Krakatoa in Pool Valley, Brighton; Curve in Gardner Street, Brighton; Coriander in Hove Manor Parade, Hove Street, Hove; Momma Cherri's in Little East Street, Brighton; C Restaurant at Blanche House in Atlingworth Street Brighton; and New Whytes Restaurant in Western Street, Brighton.

StreetSmart and The Argus are encouraging hundreds more restaurants to join as soon as possible.

The scheme runs from November 1 to December 31. Restaurants will be supplied with StreetSmart tablecards and a simple note called How It Works.

To sign up to the initiative, contact StreetSmart's director, Nick Emley, at 84-86 Regent Street, London, W1B 5DD or call him on 020 7292 5616.

Alternatively, call Alison Ali on 01273 607485 or log on to the web site at www.streetsmart.org.uk