DOUGLAS Rotary Club has donated £10,000 to the Manx Blind Welfare Society’s Manx Recorded News Service.
The money will be spent helping to upgrade the news service, which keeps 120 visually impaired people up-to-date with the latest headlines every week.
It sees a team of more than 50 volunteers reading out articles from the Isle of Man Examiner, Isle of Man Courier and Manx Independent every week, and recordings are sent out. They were sent out on audio cassette, but the move to digital means USB data sticks are used instead.
Derek Bridson, chairman of the news service, said: ‘To our visually impaired members, the loss of access to their weekly local newspaper is a major blow.’
He said the service was ‘highly valued’ by members, ensuring they maintained regular access to the latest headlines.
‘The support of kind donors like Douglas Rotary Club allows us to continue this important work, as well as preparing for future demands as we shift evermore towards digital technologies,’ he said.