Service still informing Borderers

Borders Talking Newspapers (BTN) is a service performed by volunteers, who read out local newspapers, including the Southern, and post them online or send users a USB stick they can put in their computer.

Due to the lockdown, the team’s volunteers cannot go to the studios in Duns and Teviot Church, Hawick, but several have been able to use makeshift arrangements in their homes to record the papers as usual.

Trustee Tom Ingoldsby told us: “Volunteers are making great efforts to ensure the service is kept going and users are kept updated with local news.

“The sound quality may not be at its usual high standard and some are learning to use software they are not familiar with, and the volunteers, who usually deal only with the technical side of recording, are selecting and reading the articles as well.

“The recordings are sent to the main office in Duns where our manager Wendy Moss puts them all together on the USB sticks.”

Wendy said: “We are taking all precautions, working alone and making sure the wallets and sticks are disinfected before they go in the post.”

Other volunteers are making their own recordings of other items of interest for listeners, many of whom will be stranded at home without any visitors.

The recordings are also available on BTN’s website (btn.org.uk), the Talking Newspapers app and Alexa devices.