About Us
The Darlington & District Talking Newspaper make a weekly audio recording of local news and magazine articles for people who are blind, visually impaired or unable to read a physical newspaper.
We are a member of the Talking Newspaper Federation.
Please email our office on dtnewspaper@outlook.com or telephone 01325 465101 for more information.
Listeners
Anyone can listen to our recordings free of charge, without registering, either here:
…or on the British Wireless for the Blind Fund app. available for android and apple online at bwbf.org.uk.
If you are blind or visually impaired you can opt to receive our weekly recording on a CD or memory stick through the post, using the Royal Mail Articles for the Blind scheme. Please ring or email the office to register as a listener if this applies to you.
Annual General Meeting (AGM)
Darlington & District Talking Newspaper’s Annual General Meeting will be held at Park Place Community Centre on Saturday 13 April 2024 at 10.00am.
If you are a member of DDTN and unable to attend meeting, you may appoint our Secretary as your Proxy to attend and vote on your behalf using a Proxy voting form available from the office. Completed forms must be received by the Secretary by Wednesday 10 April at 12 noon.
To assist with seating arrangements we would be grateful if you could let us know if you are planning to attend.
Please click here to download the agenda for this year’s AGM.
If you have any questions or comments please contact us before the meeting.
Donations and Fundraising
We raise money to cover our basic costs such as rent, telephone, broadband and stationery through donations, fundraising events at sporting events/ supermarkets/ talks to social groups and making recordings for other organisations.
DDTN recently won the local Asda Foundation ‘Green Token Giving’ scheme. Thank you to everyone who voted for us, we received £500. The prize is enormously appreciated.
Presentation of the Asda Green Token Giving cheque.
We also like to thank ASDA’s Whinfield store for their continued support. They regularly allow us to visit the store for collection and information events.
Thank you too to A.E Burt & Company, our landlords, for their support.
All monies raised and donated go direct to the charity’s running costs. Nobody receives a salary.
You can donate to us by:
• cheque, payable to Darlington and District Talking Newspaper,
• a regular direct debit from your bank account
• cash, at one of our fundraising events
• PayPal, using the friends & family option and our email address
• leaving a gift in your will
We appreciate all donations, no matter how large or small. Thank you to all who have given so generously in the past.
Volunteers
There are a variety of volunteer roles, which are organised on a rota basis: Producer, Reader, News Editor, Magazine Editor, What’s On Editor, Copying, Administration and Fundraising.
When we have vacancies they are advertised here:
1. CD & Memory Stick Copying Volunteer
We are looking for a volunteer to join one of our two copying teams at the DDTN office. The Copying Teams copy and distribute CD’s and Memory Sticks (MS) to our listeners. The Teams work a two week rota, meeting at the office early Thursday mornings for an hour or so.
The team copies the master recordings by operating the CD and MS copying machines. Afterwards the team check the quality of the recordings, put them into the listeners‘ special wallets and enter the information on the PC. Lastly a member of each team takes the filled wallets to a Post Office for same day dispatch.
A team member will need to visit the office/ post office on a Friday lunchtime/ afternoon to deal with and send “late wallets”.
Must have basic PC skills to update spreadsheets, reliable and work well in a team. Full training will be given.
2. What’s On Editor
We need someone to prepare the Whats’ On part of our weekly recordings. You will check reputable internet sites and download details of any events which might appeal to our listeners, put them in a word processing document and send them to the office.
Details of these events must arrive at the office by email each Tuesday.. They will be read and recorded on Wednesday.
You must be reliable, have good PC skills and, because this is a volunteer from home opportunity, have access to a PC and the internet. Full training will be given.
Recordings for other organisations
If you would like a quote for an audio recording please contact us.
