Picture of Mike Wood Chairman receiving a cheque donation

We’re solely funded by donations and need your help

STAN is grateful for the financial contributions made by individuals and organisations that allow us to continue to provide the Swindon Talking News free of charge to visually impaired, blind or print disabled people. It costs £2,500 a year to provide this service and it is entirely run by volunteers.

Ways you can make a donation

Donation by Bank Transfer

Any donation is very welcome. Should you wish to transfer a donation to our bank, these are the details:

Barclays Bank, Account No: 70868787, Sort Code: 20-84-58

Write a Cheque

If you prefer to send a cheque, please make it payable to: Swindon & District Talking Newspaper and send it to us at Craven House, 145 Victoria Road, Swindon, SN1 3 BU.

Gift Aid for Tax Payers

If you are a UK tax payer, you may gift aid your donation. For every £ donated our organisation receives an extra 25p, which makes a huge difference to our funds. Please contact us to complete a Gift Aid declaration confirming you are a UK tax payer, so that we can claim the gift aid from HMRC.

Donate by JustGiving

This is an easy way to make your donation by clicking on the link:

https://www.justgiving.com/charity/theswindondistricttalkingnews

Donate Now

How does your donation support STAN

Any donation, however small, will be used to continue this vital service to our local community. Some have said they see it as "a life-line" to keeping in touch with what's going on and accessing other services they can use, to enhance their lives and help them remain as independent as possible.

Picture of USB memory stick and postal wallet

£10 - News for 1 Listener

This will purchase one USB memory stick with a wallet for a Listener.

£20 - USB memory sticks for 4 Listeners

This will pay for four USB memory sticks for four Listeners.

£30 - New Listener Boom Box

This will buy one "Boom Box" - the piece of equipment which is sent out to a Listener to enable them to play the USB sticks which are sent regularly to them.

Picture of USB memory stick postal wallet and Boom Box

£40 - Equipment for 1 New Listener

The Boom Box for a new Listener and the USB memory stick

Are you interested in becoming a volunteer for STAN?

There are a variety of interesting roles to be done, and volunteers bring a wide range of skills to the organisation. Some volunteers are in full time employment, others are retired and the mix is useful to cover production sessions. It is important to us to have the right person in the right role, either in front of the microphone or behind the scenes. Reliability and commitment are essential amongst all volunteers.

Find out more

DJ, Listener

Many thanks for my first edition of the memory stick from the Talking News, which I enjoyed listening to all the items very much. Looking forward to the next one.

DT, Listener

I received my first issue of Swindon Talking News along with the player in 2022 as I had been unable to read the Swindon Advertiser for about 4 years due to fading eyesight. This has been a new experience for me which I have found most interesting, informative and entertaining. My sincere thanks to you all and I look forward to future editions.

Tokuma Jeczalik, Audio Editor

I began volunteering here as part of my Bronze DofE (Duke of Edinburgh award) and I was unsure what to expect. Luckily it is an extremely friendly environment and I feel very fulfilled as I am helping people in our local community. I have now started college and I am continuing to volunteer each fortnight for my Gold DofE. I highly recommend STAN, whether you are a prospective Listener or a Volunteer; everyone is so kind and everyone works to provide the best experience possible for our Listeners.

Tokuma Jeczalik

Mike King, Production & Volunteer Co-ordinator

In 2018, when I hit my milestone 40th birthday, I felt I wanted to do something in my spare time, so looked for local charities who I could support. I started as a Presenter on a once-a-month basis which suited me perfectly as I work full-time, but gradually I came in more frequently to read or present, as well as taking on more behind-the-scenes duties. Since 2020 I have been Production & Volunteer Co-ordinator, organising the rota for our volunteers as well as some of the content for each edition of STAN. In 2025 I became the Chair of Trustees, a role where I can put my leadership skills to good use to support the charity with an aim to increase our listener numbers and improve the service we offer. I love hearing from our Listeners who have some fascinating stories of their own, as well as receiving feedback so we can improve the service to their needs. It's very rewarding to know that STAN can be a real "lifeline" and makes a huge difference to our Listeners' lives. Anyone wishing to join the team to do something rewarding, please get in touch.

Mike King

Jane Jones, Volunteer Reader

I am Jane Jones and I am 68. I retired from my job as a primary school teacher in 2015. I am married with 2 grown up daughters and 1 grandson and 1 granddaughter. I also volunteer in a charity shop, as well as listening to readers in the reception class of my grandchildren's primary school and announcing at swimming galas.

Reading for STAN was something I had wanted to do for a long time, but couldn't fit it in whilst teaching. I wanted to do this because of my paternal grandfather, who lost his sight when my mum was pregnant with me, so he never saw me but I used to read to him as soon as I was able.

Jane Jones

Making a donation