WHETHER you're bewildered by the mobile phone revolution and still trying to catch up, or simply determined to make the most of the brave new world of communication it offers, a new organisation based in North Yorkshire could be just the thing for you.

Oomph (the Organisation of Mobile Phone Users) aims to offer everything from advice about mobile phone etiquette to information on health and safety issues, tips on how to get the best out of your mobile - or even someone to gripe to about the cost of making calls,

It is the brainchild of Paul Adorian, a former health and safety worker in the construction industry, and his business partner Sophie Jackson, whose background is business development.

Despite the fact that there are now 40 million mobile phones in the UK, Paul and Sophie believe Oomph, with its headquarters in Manse Lane, Knaresborough, is the first organisation of its kind in the UK set up to represent the interests of mobile phone users - whether they are individuals, or companies supplying phones to their employees.

"Oomph is a fun and hopefully memorable name," said Paul, Oomph's chairman. "But there is a very serious side to some of the things we do. Other benefits we offer are not as serious, but extremely useful, nevertheless."

On the serious side, Oomph aims to campaign and provide information for its members on the possible health hazards of mobile phones - whether it's the risk of causing an accident by using a phone while driving, or concern over radiation.

"Any risk appears to be pretty minimal," Paul said. "But even so the public have a right to know what that risk is. Our website will provide a single reference point for them to catch up on the latest information from researchers, the reaction from manufacturers and the recommendations about what steps to take, if any, from health and safety organisations."

Oomph also aims to provide support for the mobile phone user. "There have been a lot of complaints recently about the cost of making calls from your mobile phone while you are abroad. We shall certainly be looking at this and conveying our members' dissatisfaction to the air time providers," Paul said. "There appears to be little reason for these prices and I believe it is in everyone's interests, including the air time providers themselves, that these prices come down."

The area the organisation expects to be most busy in, however, is training - especially for companies. "I know it sounds strange to talk about training people to use a phone," Paul said, "but companies in particular are very vulnerable to health and safety issues."

There are two main areas of concern, he said - employees using the phone while driving and the long-term effects of mobile phone usage.

"Companies and even their directors providing company cars and mobile phones could face prosecution if one of their employees causes an accident through dangerous driving in a company car using a company-provided mobile phone," Paul said. "Recent cases have shown that the mobile phone is sometimes a key factor in dangerous driving cases. Our records will show that the company had provided training which could help to avoid such tragedies taking place.

"Similarly, with the potential health hazards of long-term use - especially when the mobile phone is supplied by the company - our training will alert the employees to the facts as they are understood now so that they can make their own decisions about what action to take."

Also included in the training will be the latest generation of mobile devices, which in many instances have the capability to act as fully fledged PCs with word processing, spreadsheets, hand writing recognition, full address books, task schedulers and diaries.

"The corporate user, in particular, will reap major benefits from the next generation of mobile phones," said Paul. "Training will therefore become more important not less in the immediate future."

Membership of Oomph costs £25 per year for individuals and £175 for companies. Members will also receive regular electronic news updates - sent straight to their mobiles, along with their own web-based organiser that links to both their PC and their mobile phone, keeping them up to date wherever they are.

"We believe that what the mobile industry has achieved in a few short years is quite astounding. We will be able to pass on our members' needs and comments and thereby make the job of further development that much easier," Paul said.

To find out more about the Organisation of Mobile Phone Users, tel 08704 446228.