This week in our 'Spotlight on Volunteers' campaign, we take a look at the volunteers at Fenprobe Talking News, who are based in Ely.
What is Fenprobe Talking News?
The service is a "talking newspaper" for anyone in East Cambridgeshire who is blind or is sight impaired.
It's a group made up of dedicated volunteers, who help those affected with blindness or vision impairment still get their local news.
One volunteer at Fenprobe Talking News said: "Being able to see the printed word is something that a lot of us take for granted.
"Blind or partially sighted people do not have this opportunity.
"But, we can still help them find out what is going on in their local community via our Fenprobe Talking Newspaper."
How does it work?
Every week, The Ely Standard newspaper is edited by a volunteer who selects clippings to record.
A group of volunteers then record themselves reading the articles that they have selected and edited from The Ely Standard.
They use the latest technology to record themselves, and then upload the recordings onto a USB stick, which is then sent to all recipients in East Cambridgeshire and beyond.
Fenprobe Talking News supplies all recipients with a USB stick as well as a free audio player so that people can listen to the news in the comfort of their own home.
The USB sticks are free and are posted to people's houses in pouches.
Once the recipient has listened to volunteer's recordings of The Ely Standard for that week, they send back their USB stick to Fenprobe Talking news, for the next week's load of news to be recorded onto it and returned to them.
Once again, it's free for people to return their USB sticks to Fenprobe Talking News.
Volunteering at Fenprobe Talking News
There are currently four teams of volunteers at Fenprobe Talking News.
One volunteer from each group will spend some time editing the stories from that week's edition of The Ely Standard, which can take several hours.
Then, one of the four groups of volunteers will give up a few hours of their time once a month to read and record the edited news.
Volunteers then transfer the recordings onto the USB stick and parcel them up, ready for them to be posted to houses across East Cambridgeshire.
Due to the fact that the Fenprobe Talking News service is entirely free, it relies heavily on volunteers to make sure that the essential service keeps running.
Can I volunteer at Fenprobe Talking News?
Fenprobe Talking News have said that they "desperately" need more volunteers to join the service, as their present teams are being stretched.
It's vital that services like Fenprobe Talking news continue in the community.
There are different roles available for volunteers at Fenprobe Talking News, so everyone is accommodated.
A volunteer added: "Looking to the future, to keep this vital service going, we need volunteers who are interested in preparing the news for reading, as well as volunteers who are interested in recording the session."
How can I get in touch about volunteering?
"If you are interested in volunteering for Fenprobe Talking News, or you just wish to find out more information, please contact us at the following email address: Fenprobe1@outlook.com
"We look forward to building on our team of dedicated volunteers, and keep this vital service going for the blind and partially sighted in our local area."
Any volunteering groups in East Cambridgeshire who would like to feature in The Ely Standard's 'Spotlight on Volunteers' campaign, get in touch via email at: francesca.herring@newsquest.co.uk
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