National audiobook charity Calibre Audio is reluctantly introducing a small charge for adults using its digital services in response to the current economic climate.
With effect from 1st August 2023, a new digital membership of Calibre Audio will cost £3 per month or £30 per year. Calibre’s services will remain free for those under the age of 18 and for adults using its USB memory stick service. The charge will also be brought in for existing members with effect from 1st September 2023.
Calibre’s Chief Executive Anthony Kemp explains the reasons for this move:
“We remain committed to our founding principles of providing a free audiobook service for everyone in the UK with a print disability, but unfortunately the current economic climate is proving extremely challenging. Although many of our members have been very generous in making donations to the charity, our other fundraising streams have been adversely affected and we are now in a position where we need to ask members using the digital services to make a small contribution to their costs.
“We have kept the charge as low as we possibly can because we understand how challenging the economic climate is for our members too. But to continue providing the service that we know is such a lifeline for many of our members, we have had little choice but to take this step.
“We sincerely hope that the charge is a short term move and that as things improve, we will be able to remove it and restore a free service for every print-disabled person.”
It costs £85 every year to fund the service for one member which means that the new charge still represents a heavily subsidised membership.
“We hope our members understand the reason for this regrettable move,” continues Anthony, “Unfortunately, charities are not immune from rises in the cost of living and with our fundraising income following the national trend and declining, the situation is not sustainable for charities like us who receive no government support. We ask our members to support us through these difficult times, safe in the knowledge that we will remove the charge when we can.”