Question: What do celebrities Alison Steadman, Jon Richardson, Ralf Little, Mathew Baynton and Dr Hilary Jones have in common?

Answer: They've added their voices to support the Bedtime Donations campaign [1] from The Royal Society for Blind Children (RSBC).

Alongside many not-quite-so-well-known voices, they've each recorded themselves reading their favourite children's story as part of the charity's campaign to make audiobooks more accessible for blind and partially sighted children.

Tackling inequality, promoting inclusivity

Listening to bedtime stories is crucial for a child's development, improving language skills, strengthening emotional bonds, and helping them process their day.

While sighted children can choose from a huge range of paperback or eBook titles, it's different for those with vision impairments. Audiobooks provide an alternative, yet they're expensive, with a limited selection of titles for youngsters.

RSBC's bridging this gap through its Bedtime Donations campaign. In partnership with Innocean, a Berlin-based creative agency, it's created a free app that allows parents to record themselves reading a children's book aloud. AI technology then helps transform the recordings into high-quality, free audiobooks. 

Creating a free and growing digital library

The Bedtime Donations app [2] is available on the App Store and Google Play, for children to listen to.

Stand-up comic and broadcaster, Jon Richardson, reads Beatrix Potter's The Tale of Jeremy Fisher, actor Alison Steadman has recorded Sleeping Beauty, and star of Death in Paradise and The Royle Family, Ralf Little, brings The Three Little Pigs to life. And hundreds of members of the public have also lent their voices to record stories, spreading the magic of storytelling.

RSBC Bedtime Donations [3]