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Status
Received: on time
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Income
£6.8K
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Spending
£6.4K
Public benefits
The trustees believe that our purposes satisfy both elements of the public benefit requirement. Purpose one is to provide information. The direct benefits which flow from this purpose include the improvement of knowledge and skills of blind and partially sighted people. This is shown by feedback from listeners and by evaluations undertaken by the
trustees. The beneficiaries are visually impaired people living in the Ards and North Down area. There is no private benefit flowing from this purpose. We believe that this purpose is beneficial and not harmful. Purpose two is to provide free weekly recordings. The direct benefits which flow from this purpose are to include any person wishing to receive a recording whatever their financial circumstances. This is shown by the number of people who regularly receive recordings. The beneficiaries are visually impaired people living in the Ards and North Down area. There is no private benefit flowing from this purpose. We believe that this purpose is beneficial and not harmful. Purpose three is the discretionary provision of equipment. The direct benefits which flow from this purpose are the inclusion of any persons wishing to receive a recording whose financial circumstances might preclude them from purchasing the necessary equipment to listen to the recordings. This is shown by the number of people from a wide social spectrum who regularly receive recordings. The beneficiaries are visually impaired people living in the Ards and North Down area. There is no private benefit flowing from this purpose. We believe that this purpose is beneficial and not harmful. Purpose four is to promote social inclusion. The direct benefits which flow from this purpose are to make available information about local events and opportunities so that listeners may participate in these events if they wish. This is shown by the number of listeners and their families who advise us of the benefits they receive from receipt of the regular recordings. The beneficiaries are visually impaired people living in the Ards and North Down area. There is no private benefit flowing from this purpose. We believe that this purpose is beneficial and not harmful.
... [more] [less]What your organisation does
Sound Around Ards Talking Newspaper is based in Newtownards and covers the area of Ards and North Down Borough Council. There are over 60 listeners, most of whom are blind or partially sighted but others who are unable to read newspapers for other health reasons may be included. The local newspapers, the Newtownards Chronicle and the County Down
Spectator, are published on Thursday and the Talking Newspaper is recorded on Thursday night. Extracts of local news and information about events in the area are recorded and copied onto CDs . The CDs also include a magazine section and are normally about 1 hour long. The CDs are posted in distinctive yellow wallets on Thursday night and delivered, free of charge, by the Post Office. Most listeners use their own CD players, but Sound Around Ards may provide one free of charge, on a discretionary basis. After listening to the CD it is posted back in the same wallet. The address label has the listener’s address on one side and Sound Around Ards address on the other. Some 35 volunteers assist with the news and magazine production. The service is free to listeners. Sound Around Ards is mainly funded by donations but fundraising may be carried out as necessary. We are part of a network of Talking Newspapers operating in Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK, striving to promote social inclusion to those persons who may otherwise be isolated from events taking place in their community. We believe that our purposes are beneficial and not harmful. The only private incidental benefit is a sense of well-being to those who volunteer.
... [more] [less]The charity’s classifications
- The relief of those in need by reason of youth, age, ill-health, disability, financial hardship or other disadvantage
Who the charity helps
- General public
- Men
- Older people
- Physical disabilities
- Sensory disabilities
- Women
- Youth (14-25 year olds)
How the charity works
- Advice/advocacy/information
- Disability
