Bookham & District Talking Newspaper

Bookham & District Talking Newspaper provides a free service to persons in the Mole Valley area who have a visual impairment and are unable to easily consume print media. Each week they read and record articles from Dorking & Leatherhead Advertiser and Surrey Advertiser and articles from other local publications such as parish magazines and residents associations. They also include local reference information such as how to use the Mole Valley Connect on-demand bus service and Community Fridges and articles on help with sight loss. The service is optimised for delivery to a Visually Impaired Person (VIPs) and is very easy to use. The recordings are made on to USB memory cards and are sent via a “Freepost” service to the recipient who listens to the recording on a simple player designed for use by VIPs. Once the recipient has listened to this week’s local news they return the USB memory card, again using a “Freepost” service. They also provide this service via their website and Alexa smart speaker. Their service helps increase wellbeing of VIPs in Mole Valley by keeping VIPs in touch with their local community.