COMMUNITY project Trowbridge Talking News went live this week as it launched a new website to help it continue its service of recording the Wiltshire Times for visually impaired people.

Formerly known as Trowbridge Tapes for the Blind, it was started nearly 40 years ago, originally being initiated by the Trowbridge and District Rotary Club.

A group of 20 volunteers run the project, taking turns to read selected articles in the Wiltshire Times, making a master digital memory stick which is then used to prepare about 80 individual memory sticks each week.

These are then distributed to local people and previous residents with impaired vision who like to keep abreast of the news in Trowbridge and the surrounding district.

Geoff Holt, secretary of Trowbridge Talking News, said the website launch was a move in the right direction in attracting more users.

He added: “We have been putting the website together for the last six months and it was one of our members who has masterminded it all in building it up. You would think why would blind or visually impaired people look at the website but we found that it is the family, friends of carers of people who would like to find out more information about what we do.

“We thought it would be helpful to all people and so we are keeping up with the times.

“I am really pleased with the way it has turned out because if you Google Trowbridge Talking News we actually come up now and so it is nice that they recognise we actually exist.

“The demand has remained pretty steady but now we hope this website will broaden what we offer to people or how they access it at least.

“We have only just gone live and we are waiting for people to know that it is available.”

The new website contains information about the service and includes a short video as well as a sample voice recording.

For more information, visit www.trowbridgetalkingnews.org.uk