BORDERS Talking Newspapers, (BTN) the free, weekly service for visually-impaired people across the Scottish Borders, has been thrown a financial life-line just as it was contemplating the prospect of having to close its doors.

The BTN receives no funding from public bodies but relies on donations and legacies from Trusts, individuals and helpful organisations such as St John Scotland to keep its free service going out each week to around 200 listeners.

Sadly, its sister Talking Newspaper in Berwick decided to end its service after more than a year of not operating during Covid and decided to share what was left in the funds between Borders Talking Newspapers and Tynedale Talking Newspaper in Hexham.

Berwick & District Talking Newspaper was started in 1989 by the Editor of the Berwick Advertiser, Tony Langmack, and the Chairman of the Berwick Rotarian Community Services Committee, Jim Turner.

They gathered groups of volunteers representing many of the clubs & societies in the town, to produce a weekly master tape which was sent to Gateshead to be duplicated & distributed to listeners in and around Berwick.

“This is a splendid and most welcome gift,” said BTN Convener Alasdair Hutton. “We had been looking at the worrying reality of running out of money by Easter but the funds from Berwick will ensure we can continue to operate into the summer

The Berwick group went digital in 2014 and came to the Borders Talking Newspaper office in Duns to learn how to record & duplicate the local news on memory sticks.

“For 32 years these recordings, both on tape & memory sticks, have been a vital link to people in the local community with sight impairment,” said Rona Lackenby, Chairman of the Berwick group.

“We know that the good work will be continued and shared with those who rely on this vital link with the local community,” she added.