Volunteers are needed at Sheffield Talking News

Would you like to be a volunteer for Sheffield Talking News?

Sheffield Talking News is a small charity which was founded in 1988 and is run entirely by volunteers.

The charity produces audio recordings for anyone unable to access the written word, chiefly those who are sight-impaired, and include the weekly local news, interviews about people and places of interest in the city as well as a magazine.

The recordings were originally produced on cassette tapes, then they moved on to CDs and USB sticks and now these recordings can also be accessed in numerous other ways, including online, on the telephone, an app, on Alexa and podcasts.

Working from home and a purpose-built studio and office within the building of Sheffield Royal Society for the Blind, on Mappin Street in the city centre, about 50 volunteers work in different roles, including editing, reading, recording and dispatching all of the charity’s different productions.

Talking News is currently seeking new volunteers to join its magazine team.

Vicki Harris, one of the volunteers, said: “Volunteering is fun. Being part of a great team gives me a sense of purpose.

“Volunteering has offered me a chance to give something back to the community by helping provide a much-needed service to others.”

The magazine format has recently been revised to include more original material and the use of a wider variety of source material, so volunteers are needed to research, edit and present suitable material of their choice.

The charity also needs more volunteers to join the regular editing team, who work on a rota basis to compile the weekly news from local newspapers.

Mary Callaghan, Sheffield Talking News chairman, said: “It gives me a sense of purpose being part of such a great team. I know it is time well spent helping provide such a valuable service.”

Anyone interested in getting involved is asked to email [email protected]

And for more information, or if you know of anyone who might like to become a Talking News listener, visit www.sheffieldtalkingnews.org.uk or email [email protected]