Newsline preparing to mark 40 years spent sharing Falkirk Herald stories with blind and visually impaired

Come Saturday, November 13, the Forth Valley Talking Newspaper Association (FVTNA) will have been providing a free audio version of The Falkirk Herald for four decades.

FVTNA, known to listeners as Newsline, was founded by 69-year-old chairwoman Christine Moroney, with help from Larbert-based Radio Royal Hospital Broadcasting Association employees, as a means of sharing stories with those who were unable to read their local paper.

The many volunteers who have spared time to act as newsreaders or admin staff over the years will meet for a meal at the Leapark Hotel in Grangemouth this Friday to celebrate Newsline’s latest milestone.

Since forming, the service has expanded its offering to include a monthly magazine and an audio version of Falkirk Council’s quarterly newspaper.

Much like the print industry itself, Newsline has had to adapt to the times and advancements in technology.

From cassettes to CDs and latterly USB memory sticks, the team has ensured its listeners have been kept up-to-date with the biggest developments in this region since 1981.

Following a temporary pause in transmission last year, brought about by Covid, Newsline returned as quickly as possible to keep listeners abreast of the major talking points.

The importance of continuing that tradition is not lost on Christine and her fellow volunteers, who have felt the impact of the pandemic on a profound personal level.

The Bonnybridge woman said: “Being there from the beginning, it’s very special just to be involved with an organisation that’s continued for such a long time.

“I’m the only one left; there was another woman, Christine McPherson, but she died a few years ago.

“It’s changed markedly – at one time we had almost 300 listeners. That, sadly, has dropped, maybe due to people not knowing about the service, but technology’s moved on as well.

“In the late 1970s there were some people who worked with Radio Royal Hospital Broadcasting Association who were operating from premises in Larbert.

“At the time, I went to an exhibition in Edinburgh and there was a stand promoting talking newspapers. I said, ‘This would be great to have in Falkirk’ and I was given a contact number.

“We then had meetings with people from Radio Royal and some social workers of visually impaired people.

“The first recording went out on Friday, November 13 to 30 people within the Falkirk area and at that time it was only monthly.

“Once we got into a way of doing it, we decided we’d be able to do a fortnightly service, including a magazine. We then went down to doing it weekly after about five years.”

Christine continued: “During Covid, we couldn’t meet so the service stopped for 74 weeks and it just about broke my heart to almost close.

“Unfortunately there’s not been a great demand after starting back. The secretary, Betty Sutherland, and myself kept a check on the deaths column just to see if listeners had died and I think there were at least 15 people who died during that time.

“A couple of volunteers in Forth Valley Sensory Centre read about 30 minutes of news and did it as a podcast each week. That was a help but it didn’t give them the full Falkirk Herald because we do it all and split it up.

“We do listener information, court, the looking back section, news and people stories, a selection of letters, news in brief and sport.

“Our secretary cuts the paper on a Thursday morning so it’s ready to go when we go in on a Thursday evening.”

The place where Newsline comes together is its base in Falkirk’s Cow Wynd where a 12-strong group of volunteers read, record, copy USBs and empty and fill mailing wallets so listeners are supplied with weekly material.

Originally, it began in the Royal Scottish National Hospital in Larbert before operating from a volunteer’s front room for six months.

Newsline then took up residence in Arnotdale House in Dollar Park prior to making a home for itself in Cow Wynd 15 years ago.

The service is now provided on memory sticks via Royal Mail’s postage-free ‘Articles for the Blind’ scheme.

Aware some listeners may not have access to technology capable of playing USBs, Newsline also provides memory stick players.

Being able to support others by sending out the main news topics of the time – like the closure of British Aluminium to the opening of The Howgate – was Christine’s ultimate goal all those years ago.

It’s why she’ll continue to run the initiative for as long as she can, and why she appreciates all the help Newsline receives.

Christine said: “In 1981, I had one daughter who had started school and I needed to have an interest and thought this was a great opportunity.

“A couple of years after that I had my second child, a son. I said my daughter was my first love, Newsline was my second and my son was my third!

“We’ve got extra support from Falkirk Soroptimists who send two women to help every fortnight and the Grangemouth Rotary sends a gentleman every fortnight to do readings and our admin side.

“It gives the listeners different voices.”

She added: “A very big thank you to all our volunteers over the last 40 years.

“A big thank you to anyone who has given their time and effort, and to our listeners for staying with us.

“Thank you to The Falkirk Herald for being there and giving us material every week.

“I hope it continues to be there and gives our listeners the news they’re not able to access elsewhere.”

For more information about Newsline and how to subscribe, call 01324 228313 or email [email protected].

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