The main service provided by Solihull Borough Talking Newspapers Association is to enable unsighted people or those with limited sight to be able to keep abreast with the local news – and this is how we do it.
Recording
Four teams each comprising a producer, a sound recordist and a number of readers are involved in this work. Some groups also have a ‘presenter’, someone other than the producer, who introduces the readers and the headlines of each piece being read.
Each team meets once every six weeks on a Friday afternoon, to read and make a master recording of items from local newspapers such as the Solihull Observer and the Solihull edition of the Birmingham Mail. Occasionally items from other local publications are also included.
Copying and Distribution
Teams take it in turns to attend on Saturday morning to copy the master recording onto individual USB memory sticks. The sticks are then packed into their own pre-addressed padded envelopes which are delivered – free of charge by the Royal Mail – to each listener. The same envelopes are used by the listeners to return the memory sticks to us for re‑use. This is also free of charge.
In the same way, we also produce a quarterly magazine including items of more general interest.
How to ListenWe are able to lend listeners a machine for playing the memory stick if they don’t have a computer or similar. These players must be returned when no longer needed.
As an alternative to the above system, listen to your local News and your Magazine by clicking on the buttons at the bottom of this page – ‘Listen to Latest News’ and ‘Listen to Magazine’ you can also find the link on the menu bar. For screen readers, you would just follow the voice prompts given. Computers, i-Pads, and/or smartphones can all give you access to our website. And we’ll be updating you soon about accessing our recordings through smart speakers such as Alexa.
If you are visually impaired and would like to enjoy this free service direct to your home – or if you know of anyone who might benefit from it, please contact us.
Our service is provided entirely by volunteers. If you can spare up to a couple of hours once a month and would like to join our team, we’d love to hear from you.