FOLLOWING the decision of the committee to close down the Harlow Talking Newspaper (HTN) charity due, to a number of irreconcilable problems, a meeting was arranged and facilitated by Rainbow Services between HTN and the Saffron Walden based charity Support4Sight (S4S).


As a result of that meeting, the HTN committee, at an Extraordinary General meeting held on 29th April, unanimously agreed to merge with S4S, and move their operations to the S4S headquarters in Saffron Walden.


HTN will, on completion of the necessary documentation and processes, transfer equipment and residual funds to S4S, and then deregister as a charity.


HTN will retain it’s own brand under S4S and the weekly production will resume the free sending and receiving of data-sticks.

Presently no date can be fixed for this resumption, but it will take place as soon as possible.

Visually impaired users of HTN will be notified individually by us of this excellent news shortly, and then contacted by S4S when to expect their first “news”.

New qualifying listeners will be welcomed and provided with necessary details and equipment.


S4S will initially cover news from the same area, (Harlow and nearby villages), as is presently handled by HTN and will use the same sources for important local information listeners depend on.



Support4Sight maintain a local presence during the week at the eye clinics at Princess Alexandra Hospital, and hold two coffee mornings a month in Harlow for the visually impaired, their carers and supporters’, as well as for volunteers.



For further details about Support4Sight and the facilities they offer please contact them via their website http://www.support4sight.org.uk/ 

If you require further information about HTN or progress on the merger, please contact [email protected]

Harlow Talking News particularly thanks the following for their advice, support and efforts in making the continuation of this valuable service possible: Rainbow Services CEO – Jemma Mindham; 
Support4Sight CEO – Gary Hyams;
Harlow Council leader – Mark Ingall;
Harlow Council Community & Well-being portfolio holder – Eugenie Harvey;
and Robert Halfon, MP.