Elmbridge Runnymede and Spelthorne Talking News (ERSTN) is a voluntary organisation which provides a free service of local news to blind and visually impaired people, as well as others who have difficulty in reading.

We are a registered charity – charity number 1186678 that is sponsored by the local Rotary Clubs and supported by other donors. We’ve been giving the service continuously since 1975.

It is our aim to reach as many of these people as possible, to enhance their lives by helping them keep in touch with what is going on in their community.

Every Friday two presenters record onto USB memory sticks an mp3 audio file of up to ninety minutes of local news taken from the Surrey Comet and Surrey Advertiser newspapers. The memory sticks are then delivered free of charge through the post, usually to be received on a Saturday, and after listening, listeners return the sticks, again post free. Most of our listeners play the memory sticks on a boom box which can be provided.