Well thanks for clicking through to read this, I've not done this before! I thought I'd mark my birthday by remembering Granny Pearl who we sadly lost nearly two years ago and hopefully to raise some funds for her charity.  Many of us miss a natter with Gran and her entertaining stories.  Some of called her the Flying Gran as she was always going somewhere!

I have raised funds for Calibre before - years back through a cooking demonstration party at home and the sale of Gran's dishcloths.  My cousin David also raised funds through his half marathon a few years back!  Here's hoping we can help this invaluable charity to support more folks with the supply of interesting recorded books :)

Granny Pearl got a lot of enjoyment from the service provided by Calibre, receiving lots of interesting books on USB memory sticks through the post and she would often tell us about the stories she was reading.  Gran had macular degeneration and lost her sight slowly, but her mind was sharp and I'm sure being able to access such a service as the one provided by Calibre helped with this.  Gran would rather listen to her books or listen to her radio ("Hello ducky, I was just listening to my talking book" or "I was just listening to my Archers!") than follow TV once she lost her sight.  At first books came on tapes and then CDs.  CDs were a bit of a faff for Gran!  Then came the USB memory stick which was much easier for her to use.  Any visitor who came to see Gran after she had finished a book could have been asked to pop the used USB book back into the post box for it to go back to Calibre!

CALIBRE'S CURRENT CAMPAIGN: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on us. Like the rest of the charity sector, our income has fallen significantly. Meanwhile, demand for our free audiobook service has increased rapidly with over 100 new members joining each week since lockdown.

Previous generous donations from kind supporters like you, have enabled Calibre Audio to support our members by sending stimulating titles, so you can soak up the joy of places far away and captivating adventures that enthral you. 

One  recent customer says…I am so grateful for your efforts to continue the service in spite of the difficult times. I live on my own and the memory sticks you supply me by post are an absolute boon to me…

ABOUT CALIBRE: Calibre Audio has over 11,000 unabridged titles to anyone over 16 and nearly 3,000 titles especially for students under 16. Books can be borrowed on MP3 CD, USB memory stick, streamed or via our iOS and Android apps, so they really can be taken anywhere. Each membership includes a personalised service, 24-hour access to our library via the internet and unlimited numbers of books to stream or download. We post the MP3 CDs and USB memory sticks directly to your home.

Thank you for any donation you might like to make, it will go straight to Calibre and the work they do.