Volunteers from Dorking and Bookham Talking Newspapers record an edition.
Now Dorking & Bookham (TNs) have joined forces to give people with a vision impairment a better service. The pandemic had reduced the recordings from weekly to once a fortnight, but with the two TNs working together, a free weekly service has been resumed.
Each TN still produces its fortnightly recording, alternating with their TN neighbour to give a weekly production, but instead of each looking at only the nearest town and villages, both are taking stories now from the Dorking and Leatherhead area, so increasing the range they cover.
“It’s a win-win idea” said Jessica Thurtell, one of the Dorking TN Trustees. “Our listeners get their weekly service back, and they also hear news from the other half of Mole Valley which they didn’t before. So they’re getting more news, more often and that’s got to be good! At the same time the TNs double their audience and the area they cover.”
Every week a number of people set about making an audio version of the Dorking & Leatherhead Advertiser. Editors select items from the paper, then a team of readers voice the stories and finally the recording is duplicated on to memory sticks and sent out free in special pouches to listeners in Mole Valley – and sometimes beyond.
“Some of our recipients have lived in Mole Valley for years but have since moved away – they still want to keep in touch with local affairs and we send memory sticks to them in the Midlands, Scotland or the Isle of Wight or wherever they’re living now,” said Jessica. And she added, “We’re a charity, staffed entirely by local volunteers, offering a free service to anyone who needs us. If that’s you, do please get in touch.”
The Talking Newspapers are always on the lookout for new listeners so if you’d like to receive local news in audio – or you know someone else who would – do contact them.
You’ll find Dorking TN online at www.dorkingtalkingnewspaper.org.uk
Email: enquiries@dorkingtalkingnewspaper.org.uk
Or phone: 01306 885382
Or if you live in the Leatherhead area, Bookham TN can be found at www.bookhamtalkingnewspaper.org.uk
Or call them on: 0300 030 1120
