Solihull Borough Talking Newspapers Association
A very warm welcome to our website
Press Release –
Solihull Borough Talking Newspaper Association (SBTNA) receives the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service 2020.
SBTNA a group of volunteers based in Solihull have been honoured with the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the highest award a voluntary group can receive in the UK. SBTNA is a charity that offers the freedom of its blind and partially sighted listeners to listen to local news whenever they choose. SBTNA is one of 230 charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups to receive the prestigious award this year.
The number of nominations remains high year on year, showing that the voluntary sector is thriving and full of innovative ideas to make life better for those around them. The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service aims to recognise outstanding work by volunteer groups to benefit their local communities. It was created in 2002 to celebrate the Queen’s Golden Jubilee.
Recipients are announced each year on 2nd June, the anniversary of the Queen’s Coronation. Award winners this year are wonderfully diverse. They include volunteer groups from across the UK, including a community shop in Cornwall, an environmental group in Swansea, a group working with refugees and vulnerable people in Stirling and a thriving community arts centre in County Down.
Representatives of SBTNA will receive the award from the Lord Lieutenant of West Midlands later this summer. Furthermore two volunteers from the SBTNA will attend a garden party at Buckingham Palace in May 2021, along with other recipients of this year’s Award.
Mrs. Marion Canning, Chairman of SBTNA says:
“How delighted we are that our group’s work to allow the blind and partially sighted freedom to hear the news at a time of their choosing has been recognised.
I pay tribute to the hard work and commitment of our volunteers throughout the years, some of whom have been with the charity for over 20 years. SBTNA made their first recordings in the 1970’s.”
You can read more about the SBTNA's history by clicking on the 'History' tab on the left hand side of this page. Ed.
Notes : -
1. Lord Lieutenants represent the monarch in each of the UK’s ceremonial counties.
2. This year there were 230 recipients of The Queen’s Award Voluntary Service from across the UK. More information on the recipients and the Award can be found at https://www.gov.uk/queens-award-for-voluntary-service
3. Any group of two or more people that has participated in voluntary work for more than three years can be nominated for the award. Full details on how to nominate are available at https://qavs.culture.gov.uk/nominations
Further information about the SBTNA and this award can be obtained from -
Mrs Marion Canning – Chairman SBTNA Tel: 01564 773984, Or, Derek Bush – Information Officer SBTNA Tel: 01564 775854, Or , Peter Morris -Group Leader SBTNA Tel: 0121 688 6883
Coronavirus -
Sadly, It has been decided to temporarily suspend production of our Talking Newspaper after this week (19th March) but we will continue to review the situation until everything is back to normal. Our last edition for the time being will be put together on Friday by a few volunteers and on Saturday it will be sent to the listeners explaining what is happening. Maybe we shall have to do something similar in a few weeks time. It depends how long this Coronavirus situation lasts. We wish our listeners well and to stay safe.
Notice March 2020 -
Recorded message – to go on recording being produced on 6 March.
For a number of months, we at Solihull Talking Newspaper have been looking at some different ways to make both the weekly newspaper and the magazine available to listeners. This would be in addition to the usual way of sending the stick out by post – so don't worry that you'd have to change anything if you don't want to.
Already for example, if you can access the Internet you can go to our website SBTNA@weebly.com and click on the newspaper and magazine from the menu on the left of the screen. For screen readers, you would just follow the voice prompts given. Computers, i-Pads, and/or smartphones can all give you access to our website.
So to help us work on our future offering, and try to develop the newspaper and magazine to suit everyone's taste and needs, we want to hear your views. To give you a bit of notice, there'll be a questionnaire in with NEXT week's recording, and we hope you'll be able to complete it and send it back when you return your wallet in the usual way.
Listen Here!!
A new Feature - Listen to your local News and your Magazine - click on the tabs at the left hand side of this page - 'Listen to Latest News' and 'Listen to Magazine'.
We're on the Radio!
At least Marion Canning and Derek Bush were. On 16th August 2018, the duo were invited by Nick Whitehouse of Solihull Radio to do a 'PodCast'.
This was a terrific free publicity opportunity which our SBTNA stalwarts seized with both their hands.
You can listen to what they had to say by clicking on this link -
https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-jw5df-979819
The Photo below shows our John Hill thanking Zone C of the Lions Club Midlands for their generous donation
The seven Lions clubs involved donated a significant amount of money which allowed us to purchase a new copying machine. In addition we were also able to purchase a large number of new USB sticks for our listeners to enjoy the weekly news and quarterly magazine.
From left to right -
Stephen A Meakin (President Balsall Common Lions Club)
John Hill (SBTNA)
Jaap de Jonge (Zone chair, Zone C of the Lions Midlands District. Zone C includes the 7 Lions clubs of Solihull MB: Balsall Common, Birmingham Exhibition, Castle Bromwich, Knowle & Dorridge, Marston Green, Shirley, Solihull)
Stephen Walker (President Solihull Lions Club)
The above photo was taken on the occasion of the Solihull Together Awards presentation.
SBTNA won the 'Outstanding Community Project' award.
Well done to all, it's nice to be recognised. Keep up the good work.
The people featured are, from left to right -
John McDonald, John Hill, David Carrington-Porter, Marion Canning (SBTNA Chairman), Derek Bush (these five are all SBTNA volunteers and committee members).
The man on the far right and the presenter of the award, is Councillor Bob Sleigh O.B.E.
Click on the logo below to visit the Talking Newspaper Federation website.
