Grapevine receives funding boost from Chatterbox

A talking newspaper for the blind or visually impaired has received a cash boost from a neighbouring service.

Grapevine, which serves the Great Yarmouth area, was given funding by Chatterbox, its Norwich counterpart, to buy new equipment.

This has allowed the group to purchase new USB audio players and a new computer for administration.

Graham Gooda, Grapevine's technical officer and treasurer, said: “This valuable help from Chatterbox – our neighbouring talking newspaper – has brought a timely lift to the efficiency of our service.

"Chatterbox has the grateful thanks of our members and our listeners.”

Until the funding boost, the group was still handwriting postage labels from a filing system created in 1980.

Mr Gooda said: “Chatterbox has now come to the rescue and our new computer – using a programme specially written by our chief engineer – can sort, annotate and print labels for our listeners in a fraction of the time taken using the old card system."

Grapevine, which is produced using content from the Great Yarmouth Mercury and additional interviews and features, is recorded weekly at a dedicated studio by the organisation’s members.

It is made available to listeners on USB data sticks sent through the post or online at grapevinegy.org.

Grapevine also teamed up with Wymondham and Attleborough Talking Newspaper and King’s Lynn and West Norfolk Talking Newspaper to make a successful bid for a grant.

Roger Ryan, chairman of the Norwich Talking Newspaper, said: “It has been our pleasure to help our neighbours by offering additional financial assistance.

"It has been possible thanks to the foresight of our generous benefactors and the amazing work done by our unpaid volunteers who help minimise our own costs.

"The grants have been such a success that Chatterbox trustees are considering giving more money to other talking newspapers next year.”

www.greatyarmouthmercury.co.uk/news/24706777.grapevine-talking-newspaper-blind-boosted-chatterbox/

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