SALISBURY and District Talking Newspaper Association is meeting the challenges of the digital age head on the recent annual meeting was told.

Sonia Woolley, technical and production manager for the group, said Salisbury Cathedral’s sound engineer Kevin Skelding had helped with the switchover to digital recording and all the charity’s readers are now being trained to use the new system.

She reported that there were currently 170 tapes being sent out each week to people who are no longer able to read the Journal for themselves. However, the group would still like to find other people who might benefit from their voluntary work.

Peter Vokes, who has chaired the association over the past decade, announced he was stepping down from the post and he was happy to propose Brian Sharpe as his replacement.

Mr Sharpe is a former chief inspector of Wiltshire Police. He is also a former school governor and serves on the Salisbury St Thomas and St Edmund church council. He said he was delighted to take up the position, particularly as his mother uses the talking newspaper service.

The meeting was told that the finances were in good shape despite having to meet higher expenditure against the previous year. This was due to the need to replace and maintain equipment and having to pay £500 towards a fire upgrade at their studio area at Sarum College.