Joy's top stamp of approval

Joy Killip receives a certificate from chief executive Ruth Lambert for long service at The Talking Newspaper

N-Vision, Blackpool Fylde and Wyre Society for the Blind, turned the tables on volunteer Joy Killip, 93 years young, and presented her with a bouquet at the charity’s annual meeting – in thanks for more than half a century of voluntary service.

Joy was moved to tears when chairman of trustees Clive Hirst said it with flowers.

The former hotelier and thespian is one of Britain’s veteran newscasters – having read the news for the society’s Talking Newspaper since it started 40 years ago.

Joy’s been a fund-raiser and volunteer with the charity since 1963.

That’s the year of the Great Train Robbery, the Beatles had their very first number one (then two more) in the singles charts and topped the UK album charts with Please Please Please Me for 30 weeks, and the very first episode of Dr Who was broadcast.

Joy feels like she’s done time travelling herself.

“I’ve seen so many changes in the technology used at our Talking Newspaper – and in the aids and appliances now available to those with sight loss as well as the technological advances there too.”

One thing hasn’t changed – Joy continues to come to the Talking Newspaper recording studios at least twice a week to read and record the news for almost 300 subscribers to the newspaper via digital audio plug and countless more downloading it online.

And the Royal Mail continue to support the service, collecting and delivering the Talking Newspaper free to listeners across the locality – the charity itself spans all three local boroughs Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre.

Joy, who was presented with a special certificate for 40 years of voluntary service to the Talking Newspaper – as well as flowers for 54 years’ volunteering with the society in general – praised posties as the ‘unsung heroes and heroines’ of the service and presented Royal Mail with a special certificate thanking posties and postmaster for their ‘first class’ service.

The charity, which dates back to 1910, supports more than 2000 people living with sight loss.

Twenty of its clients are 100 years old or older.

All but a handful still live independently or with loved ones, some supported by the charity’s CareGivers at Home Service.

Only four are in rest homes, and one in a nursing home.

One client resides at the charity’s own award winning Princess Alexandra Home which is no longer exclusively for the use of blind and visually impaired clients.

Five of the 20 are 101 years old, four were born in 1915 and one was born in 1913.