READING is such an important part of my life that I can’t imagine not being able to pick up a new book or read an old favourite.

Thanks to RNIB’s (Royal National Institute of Blind People) Talking Books service, sight loss doesn’t have to mean losing access to the world of books.

The Talking Books service has revolutionised reading for people with sight loss since it launched in 1935 to help soldiers who had been blinded in the First World War, and it continues to provide more than one million audio books every year, free of charge.

That’s why I’m supporting RNIB’s ‘Sponsor a Talking Book’ fundraising drive which aims to raise £1m to produce hundreds of new accessible books and give thousands more blind and partially sighted people the gift of reading.

It’s really easy to make a difference. Simply create a JustGiving page, select your fundraising total – £2,500 for an adult book and £1,500 for a children’s book – and as you carry out activities, watch your total rise.

For more information or to sponsor a Talking Book, simply visit www.rnib.org.uk/ sponsortalkingbooks

LORD JULIAN FELLOWES

RNIB Vice President