OSCR Scottish charity profile

Borders Talking Newspapers

Known as BTN

ActiveCharity number SC020192
Registered20 April 1992
Main locationScottish Borders
Legal formSCIO (Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation)

01 Identity

Scottish charity record

Snapshot 25 August 2026
OSCR charity number
SC020192
Status
Active
Regulatory type
Standard
Designated religious body
No
Geographical spread
Wider, but within one local authority area
Volunteers
51-100 volunteers
Staff
1
Postcode
TD11 3AW
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OSCR note: This SCIO was incorporated on28/11/2014 as a result of a Change to SCIO application by .... which was an ..... registered as a charity since dd/mm/yyyy.

02 Purpose and work

What the charity exists to do

We are here to provide audio presentation of local news features to those who for any reason are unable to read printed material. Groups of volunteers edit and record the news on a weekly basis from 2 locations in the borders. The results are then put on to memory sticks and sent out to an average of 200 people to use on players that we provide. It is also available from our website or by App using mobile phones, iPads and Smart Speakers although at this stage no data as to the usage is available to us. We include notices from such as the RNIB and Social Care Alliance Scotland and regularly add magazine style features or quizzes.

Charitable purposes

  • the promotion of equality and diversity
  • the relief of those in need by reason of age, ill-health, disability, financial hardship or other disadvantage

Beneficiaries

  • Older People
  • People with disabilities or health problems
  • No specific group, or for the benefit of the community

Activities

  • It carries out activities or services itself

Constitutional objectives

The organisation’s purposes are: i. The relief of those in need by reason of age, ill health, disability, financial hardship or other disadvantage. ii. The promotion of equality and diversity. The purposes are advanced by: I. Assisting people who have difficulty reading printed material as a result of sight problems or other incapacity or disability by the provision of audio recordings of local newspapers and other items of general or personal interest. ii. Providing material by other methods of reproduction which may become available. iii. Doing all other things, alone or in conjunction with other charitable organisations or institutions, to promote or further the purposes.

03 Annual returns

Income and expenditure history

5 periods
Year endIncomeExpenditureStaffReturn received
31 March 2025£21,468£24,473111 November 2025
31 March 2024£20,377£24,257130 September 2024
31 March 2023£38,900£30,074118 October 2023
31 March 2022£27,290£20,964118 October 2022
31 March 2021£12,346£22,194123 November 2021

Figures are those reported by the charity and supplied in the OSCR bulk download. Blank facts remain distinct from zero.

04 Contact record

Principal office or trustees address

Address supplied to OSCR
3 Golden Square, Duns, Scottish Borders
Website supplied to OSCR
https://btn.org.uk
Parent charity
Not supplied

No direct external links on this profile. The official OSCR record and source documentation are available through BritDB’s dedicated source page.

05 Provenance

Source for this profile

© Crown Copyright and database right 2026. Contains information from the Scottish Charity Register supplied by the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator and licensed under the Open Government Licence v.3.0. BritDB is an independent service and does not claim to be the Scottish Charity Register.