Talking paper closure fears

APPEAL . . . Janet Whitehead, of Oldham’s Talking Newspaper

AN urgent appeal for volunteers has gone out to save one of Oldham’s most cherished lifelines.

The Oldham Talking Newspaper has been delivering an hour-long summary of the week’s news from the Oldham Chronicle since 1977.

But the service, used by around 200 visually-impaired listeners, may have to close if the group fails to find more volunteer producers.

The group, based at Falcon Business Centre in Victoria Street, Chadderton, had four producers who spend two hours every four weeks to help record four newsreaders. But that number has dropped to two and chairman Janet Whitehead fears the pressure on the remaining volunteers may be too much.

She said: “One producer broke her wrist and resigned, and the other has gone to live in Shropshire. They both went in January and we’ve been struggling on with two. But I fear it will get to the point that the two remaining producers will be fed up of coming in every other Friday.

“It would be a shame to have to close as we produce and send out 50 recordings a year.”

Volunteers are taught how to record selected news articles every Friday evening, which are posted on Monday morning.

She added “Having extra volunteers would guarantee steady production and relieve me of an awful lot of worry.”

Email her: jwhite head18@talktalk.net for information and to offer help



twitter: @BeatrizAyalaOC