Local group banks £11,000 from Glasgow Airport

11 May 2012

Bankie Talk Talking Newspaper is laughing all the way to the bank after securing £11,000 from Glasgow Airport’s FlightPath Fund.

Established in 1989, the local publisher produces a wide selection of magazine audio tapes and CD’s containing articles from a number of local and national newspapers and magazines, for the blind and visually impaired.

The funding from Glasgow Airport will allow 120 young volunteers to spend a year working on a youth audio magazine, producing two editions of the magazine per month, with each edition containing around 30-40 articles from popular magazines.

During their time on the magazine, the young volunteers will be given the opportunity to develop transferable skills such as teamwork, time management, committee skills, and microphone and recording techniques.

After the year the volunteers, who are from four secondary schools in West Dunbartonshire including, Clydebank High, St Peter the Apostle and Our Lady, Dumbarton High and St Patrick’s High,  will receive Diana Certificates of Excellence and MV Awards in recognition of their efforts.

Mark Johnston, head of security and terminal operations at Glasgow Airport, said: “As a local employer, we are fully committed to supporting projects in the community and are delighted to offer support to such a worthwhile cause. We have supported Bankie Talk in the past and were more than happy to fund this new project, which is providing young people with invaluable skills which will benefit them in their personal and working lives.”

Councillor William Hendrie said: “Frank and the team at Bankie Talk do a terrific job providing a much needed social link for the blind and visually impaired in the local and wider community. The project is a great initiative, teaching young people important life skills and I was keen for the FlightPath Fund board to fully support the youth project”

Frank Duffie, Project Manger for Bankie Talk Talking Newspaper, said ““Bankie Talk is delighted to receive this generous sum from the BAA Flightpath Fund.  This sum will enable Bankie Talk to continue to produce our much needed audio youth magazine for young blind and visually impaired people.”

The magazine, which provides visually impaired youths with the chance to access popular youth culture in an audio format, can be accessed for free from the Bankie Talk website www.bankietalk.com

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