Borders Talking Newspapers has been awarded £5300 from the Big Lottery to help expand its services.
Volunteers get ready for another recording session
For the past 25 years, volunteers have been recording an audio version of all the latest local stories for visually impaired people living in the Scottish Borders. Each weekly 90 minute audio-news programme is sent out to listeners on a memory stick and is also streamed online.
The charity celebrated its 25th birthday with a Summer Tea Party in the summer.
During its 25 years, the organisation has never missed a weekly edition despite adverse weather, illness and the occasional technical problem.
The charity relies on volunteers for every stage of production to bring local news from across the Borders to around 160, mostly sight impaired, listeners every week. From its base in Duns, stories from local newspapers are sent out, post free, on memory sticks to the listeners who are loaned specially designed players.
Main photo (l-r) Manager Wendy Moss and volunteers George, Kathy, Joyce and Richard (front).
Other local organisations that benefitted from the latest round of lottery funding were:
- Eckford Village Hall Trust – £10,000 to allow the group to treat and repair damage created by recently-discovered wet rot in toilets and part of the kitchen.
- Kelso Folk & Live Music Club – £850 to host a three day festival of traditional and live music in Kelso, including live performances, workshops, tutorials, and open mic sessions.
- Scottish Borders Cycling Development Group – £4,250 – this group is made up of all the local cycle sports clubs in the area, and the funding will be used to provide a professional timing system for use at events.