For the past 41 years, a Cheltenham based charity has been helping visually impaired people in Cheltenham, Tewkesbury and the North Gloucestershire area stay in touch with what is happening locally through a free talking newspaper and magazine service.

The Cotswold Listener was established in 1978 by the President of the Cheltenham Lion's Club. They offer a free service to anyone who is unable to read newsprint owing to any sight impairment. Recipients receive a weekly memory stick together with a specially designed. The news is recorded by kind permission of the Gloucestershire Echo and the Cotswold Journal.

With around 140 listeners using the service each week, the Cotswold Listener is urgently seeking volunteers. Newly appointed Chair, Mrs June Little explains: "We are looking to increase the number of Sound Recorders who produce each week’s news and magazines and in order to do this, we are looking for people with IT skills who would enjoy volunteering using their IT skills. We are also urgently looking to recruit Copiers. This is an incredibly valuable service and we know from feedback from our 48 active volunteers who produce the Cotswold Listener, that it is a very satisfying way to help make a difference to people’s lives. If anyone with IT skills has time, they can offer us, we would be delighted to hear from them”.

To find out more visit cotswoldlistener.co.uk or contact June Little at June@cotswoldlistener.co.uk.