Talking Newspaper Update

Following a positive response to the article in last month’s issue calling for support to launch a talking newspaper for the partially sighted in our area, a group has been formed to take the project forward. The Rotary Club and Lions have expressed their support for the project and HERIB (Hull and East Riding Institute for the Blind) have been approached with a view to collaborating. According to HERIB there are around 6000 people registered as partially sighted or blind in the East Riding and HERIB have 195 people in Hornsea and surrounding area on their database. They estimate that there could be up to three times as many as this in total. There is a group which meets every Wednesday at the Bowls club at 11.45 am. The group would still welcome more volunteers and particularly anyone who has expertise in recording to help with the technical side. The school is being approached to see if they might be able to help in this respect – both with technicians and equipment. Anyone interested please contact Bill Burleigh: [email protected] or ring us here at the paper Original article Bill Burleigh who moved to Hornsea from Kelk last year has approached us with an idea which could benefit many local residents.  Whilst in Kelk he became a volunteer with the Driffield and District Talking Newspaper which is a service for people who, because of sight loss, stroke, infirmity or similar cause, cannot read for themselves.  It is run by volunteers who compile weekly recordings containing the latest news appearing in the Driffield Times and Post.  The service is supplied by post on standard audio CDs and despatched to listeners for free. Bill would like us to offer a similar service here in Hornsea using this paper.  For this we would need to assemble a team of volunteer editors, technicians and readers. There is a Talking Newspaper Federation which can help.  Its website explains about Local Talking Newspapers. Your Local Talking Newspaper Being able to see the printed word is something a lot of us take for granted.  Blind and partially sighted people don’t have this opportunity – but we can help them in other ways.  We can provide access in many different ways if we apply more thought and effort.  We have the technology … let’s use it. In January 1970 the first Talking Newspaper was formed in Aberystwyth, and recordings sent out to listeners in Cardiganshire. In those early days no one envisaged that, more than 40 years later, there would be over 500 groups across the UK and more than 100,000 listeners. HERIB also run a service in Bridlington and Hull but not Hornsea as yet and would be keen to support the project. Has the time come for Hornsea to be added to the list?  That will depend on there being enough volunteers to make it work.  If this is something you feel you would like to be involved with please let us know and we will take it from there.

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