Doncaster Free Press to the rescue......

In fact, the small determined team behind the newspaper was trying very hard to keep it going during the pandemic.

And on 3rd April 2020, they relayed to their listeners an excellent piece of news from Nancy Fielder, the then Editor of the Doncaster Free Press (this position is now held by Dominic Brown). Mrs Fielder had assured all readers of the DFP that her newspaper would continue to publish the local news come hell or high water. The Talking Newspaper is absolutely dependent on the DFP for all local news to pass on to their blind and partially-sighted listeners

In fact, Nancy Fielder was as good as her word. The DFP did continue to publish as normal over the next gruelling and uncertain months. And so, Doncaster’s Talking Newspaper (DonTNB) also managed to keep publishing on schedule

DonTNB’s Chairman, Phil Hague, says: “We are just a small local charity which has been producing a Talking Newspaper every two weeks for over 45 years now. Luckily for us, the Doncaster Free Press allows us to read out and record – free of charge - any of their articles. Our blind and partially-sighted listeners tell us that they are better informed about local affairs than most of their family members. And we are able to provide a completely free service to our listeners because of the DFP’s generosity.

During the first months of lockdown, when contact between all people was strongly discouraged, DonTNB thought that the DFP couldn’t possibly continue to collect news stories from their community. Somehow or other, the amazing DFP staff kept their newspaper going. We still can’t imagine how they did it. But we and our listeners are forever grateful”

Nationwide, there are around 500 local TNB groups in the UK including Doncaster, Barnsley, Rotherham and Sheffield. Between them all, they have more than 100,000 registered blind or partially-sighted listeners. All these groups are individual registered charities with no funding at all except from donations or perhaps the occasional grant. They are run entirely by volunteers

Doncaster’s Talking Newspaper for the Blind began in1977 and has been issued every two weeks since then. The 1000th edition was recorded on 23 March 2018 in the majestic surroundings of Doncaster’s Mansion House. Leading up to the recording, the volunteers had started to call it the “Grand Edition”. So the Talking Newspaper’s Secretary contacted Aardman Animations explaining the situation and asking for permission to use Wallace and Gromit’s well-known theme tune. Happily, permission was given. Imagine the listeners’ surprise when the first thing they heard on that edition of their Newspaper was the opening notes of A Grand Day Out

For celebrations on a smaller scale, there is a relaxed and jovial Christmas recording of the Talking Newspaper every December at Sprotbrough Community Library. Doncaster’s Civic Mayor is always invited to attend, to record a short message for the Newspaper’s listeners. Last Christmas, the current Civic Mayor, Councillor Ian Pearson spent over an hour at the event chatting with the Newspaper’s volunteers after he had recorded his piece. This was particularly appropriate as Councillor Pearson is himself blind – and an excellent communicator

As well as the fortnightly Newspaper, the DonTNB team also produces longer items in a two-monthly Talking Magazine. As an example, there was a guided walking tour of the historic centre of Doncaster. Some of the volunteers have great ingenuity in finding and interviewing very interesting subjects. Previous examples have been with Ian McMillan, the Bard of Barnsley, and with a resident of Armthorpe, who cornered the market in breeding and exporting racing falcons to Abu Dhabi. More recently, there have been fascinating interviews with David Blunkett and with the Yorkshire Air Ambulance Service

Anyone can apply to receive Doncaster’s Talking Newspaper but it is only free by Freepost to people who are registered blind or partially sighted. Anyone newly diagnosed with sight problems will be referred by their medical team to Doncaster Council’s Sensory Team who then pass the details on to Doncaster TNB.

Anyone can listen to Doncaster’s Talking Newspaper or Doncaster’s Talking Magazine as follows.

Smartphone.Download The Talking Newspaper app from playstore.

AlexaEnable the Talking Newspaper skill

Online.On Facebook – Doncaster Talking Newspapers, embedded links in the first post

On Sprotbrough Community Library’s Digital and Audio Services webpage, embedded links.