EVENING Times readers are being urged to ­support a charity event that is raising funds to ensure a vital service can continue.

Cue and Review Print Speaking to the Blind, which produces our Talking Newspaper, is holding a race night to raise cash to fund the service.

Volunteers and young ­disabled people employed by the charity currently read a total of 28 articles each day and upload them for blind and partially-sighted people to download to their specially adapted internet radio boxes.

It costs £167 each day to keep the service free. Up to 2000 blind people can access the audio version of the Evening Times thanks to the charity.

A fundraising race night is being held on February 21 at the Social Club in St Mungo Street in Bishopbriggs.

Alastair McPhee, Cue and Review managing editor, said: "Providing a six day a week service for the Evening Times costs money and with that in mind the volunteers are asking readers to come along and support the event.

"It costs £167 per day to keep our service free, and we do need your support to help up to 2000 blind ­people who have access to the audio Evening Times.

"Providing a six-day a week service of the Herald and Evening Times costs money and with that in mind the volunteers are asking Evening Times readers to come along and support the event."

Tickets for the race night are £7.50, including a hot supper and horses can be sponsored for a minimum of £5.

Tickets are available from Cue and Review, 18 Crowhill Road, Bishopbriggs, or by ­calling 0141 416 2251

Cue and Review has received a number of grants from The Gannett Foundation, which provides funding to support local organisations in the area where Newsquest operates in the UK. However, the charity has no guaranteed funding.

The charity runs Scotland's largest independently-funded talking newspaper group, transcribing print magazines and newspapers into audio formats for the benefit of visually and reading-impaired people, around 188,000 in Scotland.

If you know of a blind ­person who could benefit from our newspaper in audio, visit www.cueandreview.org.uk/listen.htm

For more information about services, go to www.printtoaudio.co.uk