A Very Happy New Year
Carmarthen based Talking Books Wales celebrated the NewYear in style. It received excellent news – a three year Lottery grant worth £142,00 to produce “talking books” in Welsh and books of Welsh interest in English for the visually impaired throughout Wales.
“What a great start to the year,” said a jubilant Sulwyn Thomas, chairman of TBW. “It has meant months of very hard work preparing our bid. We have to thank a number of people who have helped us, but now we have to thank the Big Lottery officials for recognising that what we are doing at Pensarn, Carmarthen has a definite value for the less fortunate throughout Wales. It is a national project with potential for development and expansion. This grant will lift the uncertainty for the two part time workers and the volunteers who ensure that “books” are sent out on a weekly basis to around 400 recipients.”
Talking Books Wales, or Llyfrau Llafar Cymru, was set up in 2011. Its predecessor was the Welsh Cassette Scheme, set up by Carmarthen born, Rhian Evans, (a librarian, who lost her sight in the seventies) in 1979. For 21 years it was funded by the North Wales Blind Society. That funding ceased in 2010.
“We could have lost 2000 titles and two part time jobs after over 30 years of hard work”, said Mr Thomas. “No way were we going to allow that to happen. It would have been a blow for Welsh language provision for blind and partially sighted people. Why should they be denied the same rights as those who can walk into a library and borrow books. We formed a committee, got initial funding from the Welsh Government, raised £33,000 by launching an all-Wales appeal and proved that the scheme was worth preserving. I am delighted that Lottery officials agreed. We have a lot of work to do to full-fill our obligations, market the scheme, find new listeners and prepare for 2016 when the funding will end. That is why we will carry on with our fund raising to create a sound base for the future. What this three year grant means is that it will give us some leeway to consolidate.”
Talking Books Wales record books that are of interest to non Welsh speakers as well and hope to include books for younger listeners, stroke sufferers, and dyslexics who have reading difficulties.
“In the present economic climate we could not expect to survive on the generosity of the Welsh people alone. We had to turn to another source and the Big Lottery came to the rescue. It is up to us now to work hard to meet all our promises featured in our bid,” said Mr Thomas
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