Artists are gearing up to offer a boost to the city's homeless thanks to an exhibition in an Oxford church on Saturday.

And it is hoped that the Pulse exhibition, which will be at St Aldate's Church until Saturday, May 31, will raise thousands of pounds for Aldate's Community Transformation or ACT!, a project working with homeless people and ex-offenders.

Jonathan Self, a pastorate leader at the church, organised the exhibition and is one of 30 artists who will be showcasing - and selling - their work .

He said: "Previously we have had a fairly small church exhibition, but this year we have opened it up to anyone and we have made it much more professional. We have really raised the standard.

"Most of the artists are Christians, but it is not pictures of crosses or churches, it is more capturing something about the human condition that would resonate as much with an atheist or Muslim as with a Christian."

The exhibition will include work from a wide variety of mediums, including oils, pastels, watercolours, acrylic, mixed media textiles and collages, drawings, photography, sculpture and short films.

Tim Steward, who lives in Marston and works out of the Ark T Centre in Cowley, helped organise the exhibition and will have some of his oil paintings on show.

He said: "There are a lot of vibrant local artists on show across all medium and there is a real range of stuff."

Most of the 92 pieces of art are for sale - and 30 per cent of the proceeds will go towards ACT!

ACT! - which is run through St Aldate's Church - works with homeless people and ex-offenders one to one, including outreach work in prisons and monthly community meals. The charity's annual budget is about £4,000 - which Mr Self is hoping to treble with funds raised from the exhibition.

Sian Ducker, director of ACT!, said: "We want to serve the vulnerable people of our city on our very doorstep and also help others get practical help."

It is hoped that the exhibition, which is sponsored and supported by arts organisation Veritasse Oxford, will be national from 2009, with regional events in Bristol, Edinburgh, Birmingham and Sheffield.