Shoppers in Norwich will be able to find out more about being foster parents over the next two weeks as part of a new charity drive in the city.

Break, which is launching a new service to find foster families for young people aged 10 to 18 years old, has taken over the old Discovery Store, next to Jane Norman in The Mall, to raise awareness of the need for more carers.

The store has been converted into a teenager's bedroom – with curtains, duvets and lamps donated by nearby Argos – which is filled with a raft of information about fostering.

Amelia Andrews, a social worker with Break, is one of those to have been staffing the store this week. She said: 'It's been really kind of The Mall to let us have the shop for two weeks. We're staffing it when we can over the next two weeks.

'We've got a lot of posters, leaflets, information, it's quite an eye-catching display really to get people in. It means that people just look in the window and are thinking so its also raising awareness.'

People have been urged to come down and meet the team over the next couple of weeks, while those that are not able to attend in person should contact Break direct for more information.

Foster Care Fortnight, which started on Monday, runs until May 27. The event comes as it emerged there are now more than 1,000 children and young people in care.

A Break charity spokesman said: 'The right foster parents can transform a young person's life and, in establishing a therapeutic fostering service, Break aims to match foster families to young people aged 10 up to 18 years.'

The Break fostering team will be at The Mall in Norwich: Friday, 11am to 2pm; Monday May 21, 12noon to 3pm; Wednesday May 23, 12noon to 3pm; and Thursday May 24, 12noon to 3pm. For information call 01603 670100. Above: Raising awareness of the need for more foster carers, from left, supervising social workers Emma Markworth, and Amelia Andrews, and manager Hilary Walshe. Photo: Denise Bradley