News Release

28th September 2009

The Lancashire Constabulary Give Residents A ‘Helping Hand’ To Switch To Digital TV

With only five weeks to go to switchover, the BBC-run Switchover Help Scheme’s ‘helping hand’ campaign has joined forces with the Lancashire Constabulary to urge residents to help someone else to switch to digital. 

The ‘helping hand’ campaign aims to make sure every eligible older and disabled person in the area knows about the help they can get to keep their TV working when switchover starts on 4 November.

The Lancashire Constabulary is backing the campaign and asking everyone who has already switched to digital to reach out to those older and disabled people they know who may still need help, and encourage them to make contact with the Switchover Help Scheme.

Dianne Waters, Crime Prevention Officer, said: “The Lancashire Constabulary is delighted to be lending a ‘helping hand’ to older and disabled members of the community who might not yet have switched to digital.

“The chances are everyone knows someone in their family, or street that is entitled to help from the Help Scheme. By telling them how to access this practical support, or by simply helping them to fill out their application form, you could be making sure that they are not left with a blank screen at switchover.”

Ian Webster, Switchover Help Scheme representative in the Granada region, said, “We want everyone in the region  to think about lending a helping hand to members of the community and help in simple ways; even if it’s just a reminder that they are entitled to help from the Help Scheme. We at the Help Scheme will do the rest!”

The Winter Hill transmitter serving Liverpool, Manchester, Lancashire, Cheshire and North Staffordshire will begin to switch to digital on 4 November.

People are eligible for help from the Switchover Help Scheme if they are:

• Aged 75 or over,
• Have lived in a care home for six months or more,
• Get or could get, disability living allowance, attendance, or constant attendance allowance, or mobility supplement,
• Or if they are registered blind, or partially sighted

In the run-up to switchover in each region, every eligible person receives a Switchover Help Scheme letter and information pack explaining the options for switching to digital. Most people will be asked to contribute £40 towards the help. The service is free for people who are eligible and also get pension credit, income support, income based jobseekers allowance and employment and support allowance. Eligible people who have already converted one TV set without help from the Help Scheme can still apply to convert a second set.

Equipment has been specifically chosen for ease of use, and contact centre, delivery staff and installers have all been trained to understand and respect older and disabled people. Installers carry identification and will never call without having made an appointment.

More than one million people in the Granada ITV region have been posted a Help Scheme information pack and are being sent a reminder letter. They need to respond to get the help by returning completed information pack forms to the Switchover Help Scheme. To make it even easier, any eligible person who needs help to apply can also nominate someone else to complete their form for them.

Information and advice about becoming a ‘helping hand’ can be found at the following local locations:

• All Age Concern offices in your area
• BBC Radio Lancashire – Darwen Street, Blackburn
• BBC Radio Cumbria – Hartington Street, Barrow-in-Furness
• BBC Radio Merseyside – Paradise Street, Liverpool
• St Helen’s Parish Church Hall, Church Square, St Helens – Drop in between 9-4pm on 30 September to speak to Help Scheme experts

If you would like to find out more about the Help Scheme and who is eligible to apply, please log onto helpscheme.co.uk.

-ENDS-

Notes to Editors

Media Contacts:
Diane Green
PR and Communications Manager – Switchover Help Scheme
T: 0191 245 8847
M: 07951478832
E: diane.green@eaga.com

Sarah Fairfax
Communications Executive – Switchover Help Scheme
T: 0191 245 8834
M: 07730424407
E: sarah.fairfax@eaga.com

Images available on request

Switchover Help Scheme

The Switchover Help Scheme is run by the BBC through an agreement with the Government to help older and disabled people make the change to digital. 

In the run-up to switchover in each region, every eligible person will be offered practical help to convert one of their TV sets to digital. People are eligible if they are aged 75 years or more, or if they are registered blind or partially sighted. Also eligible are people who get (or could get) attendance or constant attendance allowance, mobility supplement, or disability living allowance.

Most people will be asked to contribute £40 towards the help.  The service is free for people who are eligible and also get pension credit, income support or income-based jobseekers allowance or employment and support allowance.

More information is available by visiting helpscheme.co.uk

Digital television switchover is the process of converting the UK’s terrestrial television system to digital. Between now and 2012, analogue channels will be switched off region by region and replaced with free-to-air digital TV and radio services (Freeview). Switchover will extend Freeview coverage to the whole of the UK and free up airwaves for new services such as ultra-fast wireless broadband and mobile television. 

eaga

eaga, a leading provider of residential energy efficiency and outsourcing services, has been selected by the BBC as the Help Scheme service provider to deliver the help available under the scheme from the ITV Border region onwards.