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News Release
28th September 2009
Preston City Council Give Residents A ‘Helping Hand’ To Switch To Digital TV
With only five weeks to go to switchover, Preston City Council is urging residents across the area to help someone else to switch to digital TV.
They are backing the BBC-run Switchover Help Scheme’s ‘helping hand’ campaign 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 the 4 November.
In the lead up to switchover, Preston City Council, are operating a series of drop-in advice sessions on board their mobile Citizenzone Bus for rural residents who live out of reach of local services and public transport.
They are inviting people to ‘hop on-board’ to find out more about the Help Scheme so they can give someone eligible they know a ‘helping hand’ to make the change to digital on one of their TV sets.
Each session will last two hours and will be attended by experts from the Switchover Help Scheme, as well as council and benefits representatives.
The next two sessions will be held in the following areas, where people will also be able to pick up posters and bookmarks to help spread the word:
- 29 September – ‘The Green Man’ pub car park, Inglewhite – 6pm-8pm
- 30 September – Barton Village Hall – 6pm-8pm
Rosie Green, Community Involvement Worker, from Preston City Council, said: “Even if you have already switched to digital yourself, we are appealing for people to pop along and pick up some information for anyone eligible you know who might need a ‘helping hand’ to switch to digital TV.
“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, you could make sure 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 older and disabled members of the community who might not have yet switched to digital.
“We are urging everyone to reach out to others and help in simple ways; even if it’s just a reminder that they are entitled to help from the Help Scheme and helping them to fill out their form. We at the Help Scheme will do the rest!”
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.
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.
In addition, any eligible person who needs help to apply can nominate someone else to complete their form for them.
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
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.