Northern Ireland Charity number: NIC102916 


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Member of<br>Chairman’s Annual Report 2023-24<br>**----- End of picture text -----**<br>


## **1 Introduction** 

Craigavon Area Talking Newspaper Association was formed in March 1978. It registered with the Inland Revenue as a Charity and later registered with the Northern Ireland Charity Commission. 

## **2 Objects of the Association** 

The objects of the Association, are to provide information elicited from the local newspapers, to people who have a visual impairment, who live primarily in the Greater Craigavon area, and to do this by the free provision of regular recordings of the Portadown Times and Lurgan Mail, together with the discretionary provision of equipment to enable the recordings to be heard. The purpose of the said recordings is to inform Listeners of local events and opportunities in order that they might have the opportunity to participate. 

## **3 Committee** 

The current Committee comprises: William Davidson, Interim Chairman; Hazel Semple Interim Vice Chairman; Patricia McGuinness, Secretary; Ken Cardwell Interim Treasurer, Andrew Gribben, IT Manager, Margaret Davidson, Listener Representative and Jim Smart, Volunteer Representatives. 

## **4 Volunteers** 

There are currently 23 Volunteers active with the Association news teams and 8 with Magazine Week 3. 

2 Volunteers have left.  Bob resigned after many years of loyal support as Team Leader in News team 2.  Sarah Brown left when she took a job in the evening however her younger brother replaced her. 

We have one Volunteer who is working on her Duke of Edinburgh Award. 

Patricia, William and Ken continue to cover for absent colleagues. 

Craigavon Talking Newspaper Secretary : Mrs Patricia McGuinness 57 Kernan Avenue, Portadown, County Armagh BT63 5TB Email: craiganontn@gmail.com 



There is a need for Readers on Teams 2 and 3.  Team 3 were unable to meet early enough to edit and Ken and Patricia cover this. 

## **5 Listeners** 

We currently have 34 Listeners.  Some Listeners are very slow at returning their wallets and, as a result, can go several weeks without getting a recording. 

## **6. Equipment** 

The new system was put in place last April.  After a few teething problems the system seems to be working with the quality of the recordings much improved. 

## **7. Other Organisations** 

We continue to receive one or two referrals from Cherrytrees each year. 

## **8. Media** 

Andrew continues to upload our recordings each week. 

There are currently 10 Talking Newspapers operating in Northern Ireland with one uploading directly to British Wireless for The Blind website. The ten are: Ards, Bangor, Coleraine, Downpatrick, Fermanagh, Mid Antrim, Mid Ulster, Newry, Strabane and Craigavon. 

## **9. Thanks** 

My thanks to the Presbyterian Church for the continued use of the Studio, to Mackles for collecting the papers for us.  A particular thanks to the Trustees of the Macan Trust who have been very generous to us for many years.  I also wish to thank the many Volunteers who are unstinting in their support, to the Committee who also help out when numbers are low and to our Listeners who, like many of our Volunteers have been with us since the start. 

## _William Davidson_ 

William Davidson  June 2024