Volunteers celebrate landmark anniversary

8:07am Thursday 15th May 2008

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VOLUNTEERS came together at the Town Hall to mark the 30th anniversary of the Talking Newspaper.

The service began in 1977 after Lennard Roberts, from the Warrington Blind Society and the late Rose Marron, a social services welfare officer, decided that the blind and partially sighted of the town needed the option of listening to the Warrington Guardian's news on audio format.

So began a recruitment drive for volunteers and the registered charity was launched, providing up to date news for residents with sight difficulties.

Due to the paper now being published on a Thursday, people receive the news at the weekend and can talk about the headlines with their family and friends.

A team of 40 volunteers working on a weekly rota form the production team that consists of editors, readers and people who package the tapes. Each Thursday the volunteers meet in Warrington library to record the news and package the cassettes, before distributing the parcels to the post office.

Guests at the presentation heard Jonathan McMurtrie, chairman of the Warrington Cassette?? give an overview of the charity's work before the Mayor of Warrington, Clr Celia Jordan, spoke of the milestone year.

She said: "What you do must make a huge difference to the lives of the blind and partially sighted.Thirty years is really quite something, you must have really helped people with what you do."

Mr McMurtrie said that listeners hear the main headline stories, obituaries, birthdays, sport and any other quirky stories.

The five longest serving volunteers, Colin Fray, Jonathan McMurtrie, Morag Leech and Mary Allen were photographed with the mayor and her consort, Roy Jefferson and were commended for their service.

Phyllis Baker, aged 94, of Latchford, receives the Talking Paper, she said: "I have been getting the cassettes for about 14 years. I like to hear it when they go wrong, it makes me smile. I have always been very close to the Guardian because my mum and dad met there - it brings back memories.

"I also like the idea of the sport on the tapes because we have some good sports men and women in Warrington and I love to hear the obituaries because sometimes your friends have died."

At its peak the service was providing cassettes to more than 400 people. The number today stands at around 160.

To volunteer for the service contact Mr McMurtrie on 730650.