Frome's Talking Newspaper, hit by falling members, is folding up the charity and is redistributing its funds, the first a donation of £1,000 to the Frome Macular Society.

Treasurer of the newspaper charity, Jim Dowling, explained that it seemed a good fit to hand over funds which had been raised to help the blind and partially sighted to another charity which helps those with sight issues.

He said : " We know that something good will come from it. Our society, which would read out local news, sometimes over Frome FM, once had 120 members, who would also get the news through the post, but technology and Covid has hit numbers, as indeed it has for the Macular Society. It is no longer effective to send out USB sticks so people can listen to the news. So this money is going to a good place."

Jim told us this was the first donation from the talking newspaper group - but it will not be the last as they redistribute the funds.

He told Frome Nub News: " The thing is we have lost a lot of our listeners from because of Covid, and we decided it was not going to be worthwhile carrying on so we are dissolving the charity. These funds we had left over and since the Macular Society is all to do with the blind and partially sighted people they were a good organisation to give surplus funds to. It is nice that it is being used the benefit with those with macular problems we are very happy however it is spent. "

Everyone is welcome at the regular meeting of the Frome Macular Society which runs lots of outings and events, and meets at Frome Cricket Club.

Some of the lovely ladies at the group at Frome cricket club on Wednesday July 20;  Left to right, Carol Pickford, Pat Mason & Rita Gillard

Treasurer Vera Ford told Nub News : " The cheque that was presented to us today from Frome Talking Newspapers will help us enormously. Next Wednesday we will be treating all 16 members to fish and chips with a dessert as well, at Whitstones in Shepton Mallet with transport provided by Mendip Community Transport. In August we are taking them to Lakeside Garden Centre at Crockerton for lunch.

"For some of our members this is the only time they get to go out. We hold meetings every 3rd Wednesday of the month at Frome Cricket Club 10.30am - 12pm and anyone with sight difficulties or Macular Degeneration is welcome to come along. We would love to see more members and hope we cheer them up."

The Frome Talking Newspaper was a service where news from the Frome Standard and the Frome Times were recorded weekly by Frome volunteers. The recordings were put on a memory stick which was then sent free of charge by post to people who were Registered Blind and Partially Sighted in and around Frome. It was also broadcast by FromeFM every Saturday at 12-1pm.