The Talking Newspaper has a new home at Radio Skye

This time last year, the Talking Newspaper team who recorded the audio version of the West Highland Free Press sent to those registered blind or visually impaired, ceased to continue due to the effects and restrictions of the Covid-19 pandemic. In April 2020 Radio Skye, (initially to fill a programming gap due to presenters shielding) took up a small part of what they did and broadcast the paper on the radio every Monday.

This year Radio Skye has now fully taken over the reigns of the West Highland Free Press Talking Newspaper and will not only be broadcasting on the radio but uploading the audio onto memory sticks that will be posted every Monday to those on the original list of recipients and to any new people who would like the paper in audio form.

The Talking Newspaper in Skye has been going for over 30 years and has had many readers taking part across the island. Its organiser Morna MacLaren was a dedicated leader of the team, meeting weekly at The Church of Scotland Hall to record the paper and make all the arrangements to make sure the recipients received their weekly copy.

Radio Skye Station Manager Suzy say’s ‘It’s an honour to take over The Talking Newspaper from Morna after so many years of delivering this important service. We hope that more people will want to receive our hour-long version of the paper and look forward to getting started on uploading the files next week.’

The newspaper is now read weekly by three volunteers; Tania Ashton Jones, Katherine Barrington and Emma Burrows who records the Gaelic articles. Radio Skye then arrange the audio version to go out on air at 2pm every Monday and in the post via the memory stick the same day.

Gaelic Reader Emma Burrows says ‘‘I’ve been involved in the Talking Newspaper for many years and delighted that it is back up and running at its new home at Radio Skye…it’s great to be able to use my Gaelic in this way and know it is making a difference.’

Radio Skye are keen to reach out to other people who would like a copy sent to them via the post.  The service is free to those registered visually impaired but can be available to others with normal postal charges applying. The West Highland Free Press is recorded on a memory stick and posted out in special padded envelopes that are easy to send back. If you would like a copy yourself or know someone who would or for more information, please call Suzy on 01478 611796 or email suzy@radioskye.com. For more general information on the Talking Newspaper head to The Association of Scottish Talking Newspapers website: www.astn.org.uk