Volunteers behind Tameside Talking News have been recognised for their decades of dedication to providing local news and information to residents with sight loss and other accessibility needs.
A group of long-serving volunteers were invited to the Mayor’s Parlour to celebrate their contribution to Tameside Talking News, a recorded newspaper service that has been sharing local news and events with listeners for almost five decades.
The service began recording newspapers on cassette tapes 48 years ago at Clyde House in Ashton-under-Lyne before later moving to Dukinfield Town Hall and eventually transitioning to USB recordings, which were posted out to listeners.
Volunteers were joined at the event by the Civic Mayor of Tameside, Cllr Helen Bowden, and Tameside Council’s Director of Adult Services, Joe Kelly, where they shared memories from their years with the organisation. One volunteer described their involvement as “a pleasure and a privilege”.
During the gathering, volunteers presented a USB drive to Cllr Helen Bowden containing recordings of the very first edition of the newspaper from 1978, along with the first digital edition produced on USB in 2011. The recordings will now be preserved by the Tameside Local Archives Service for future generations.
Thanking the volunteers for their commitment, Cllr Helen Bowden said: “Thank you to the dedicated volunteers whose passion for producing the newspaper resulted in 48 years of production. It’s been incredible to hear your cherished memories; I wish you wonderful and well-deserved retirement.”
has provided an important source of local information for residents over the years, adapting from cassette recordings to digital formats while continuing its mission of keeping listeners connected with news and events across the borough.