King's birthday accolade for talking newspaper
The West Shropshire Talking Newspaper is celebrating being awarded The King's Award for Voluntary Service. This is the highest award a local voluntary group can receive and is equivalent to an MBE. It aims to recognise outstanding work by local volunteer groups to support their communities.
Chairman of Trustees, Mary Pascoe, said: "We are so delighted and honoured by this award. The Talking Newspaper has been offering a service to visually impaired people and those who cannot otherwise access print since May 1976, so this is an early 50th birthday present!
"The service is entirely free and reliant on donations to keep going, and we have no paid staff.
"We offer a weekly newspaper of local news and other item of interest across the SY postcodes, together with a speech version of the Shropshire Magazine, accessible on line and by a memory stick postal service. So our talented and loyal volunteers are a vital resource. Please see our website for more details of what we do - wstn.org.uk"
In the coming months The Talking newspaper will receive the award crystal from Anna Turner, the Lord Lieutenant of Shropshire, and also two volunteers will be invited to a Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace next summer.
