Let’s start talking again

Reviving Ceredigion’s Talking Newspaper post-Covid has been a worthwhile struggle, says Syd Smith, Re-launch Co-ordinator

Few will perhaps know that the UK-wide movement, Talking Newspapers For The Blind, was established in 1970 by Ronald Sturt, a lecturer in the College of Librarianship Wales in Aberystwyth.

Over 50 years’ uninterrupted service followed until March 2020 when Covid intervened and Papur Sain Ceredigion Talking Newspaper (PSCTN) suspended production. This service for the blind and partially-sighted was much missed.

By the AGM in June 2023, we had lost our home with Ceredigion County Council, our officers and many volunteers had resigned and half our listeners were uncontactable. Permanent closure looked inevitable. Knowing first-hand how much PSCTN was valued by our listeners, I volunteered to attempt a relaunch and was given three months to do so.

Twelve of our past volunteers came forward; HAHAV, a local hospice charity, offered us a home in their headquarters; Llanbadarn Church offered us free use of their hall; the local paper The Cambrian News and other publications printed articles; Aberystwyth LMA Newsletter published an appeal for volunteers. Due to all the publicity, the volunteer group quickly grew to 28, the enthusiasm was encouraging and preparation for a relaunch began. We held a series of meetings and decided to work towards a possible launch date at the end of September. A dummy run on the 20th September went well and the relaunch took place a week later.

News items on BBC Wales Today, S4C, Radio Wales and Radio Cymru gave us all a lift. Volunteer numbers are growing, a new Chair, Secretary and Treasurer from among our number have put their names forward, our new home is working and the future is looking very promising. We still need volunteers, especially Welsh speakers - we have good funding but we do need people.

The good will and enthusiasm of our team of volunteers is a great encouragement and I am confident that, by the time you read this article, we will have re-established an old and very valued friend to the community here in Ceredigion.

Articles, in English and Welsh, are taken directly from various publications and we hope to be able to include some from Pobl Dewi in the future.

If you, or anyone you know, would like to receive weekly copies of PSCTN or would like to volunteer on a rota basis, please contact me: e-mail Talkingnewspaper@walkers.tv ; mobile 07773 719723