Main Content
News Release
2nd November 2009
Mobile Help Advice On Switchover For Orkney Residents
Orcadians are being given the chance to get free advice about the help that is available to switch to digital TV.
Suzy Boardman, an expert from the BBC-run Switchover Help Scheme, will be aboard the islands’ two mobile libraries to make advice easy to access for the eligible older and disabled people in Orkney. She will also attend events at locations around the islands.
She is urging residents to drop in to speak to her face to face to find out more about the help that is available for eligible people to convert one TV to digital with the Help Scheme.
The timetable for advice sessions is:
|
Date |
Time |
Location |
Address |
|
Tuesday 10th November |
12 noon to 1pm |
Bilde Trust |
Laura Grimond House, Kirkwall |
|
|
2pm to 2.30pm |
Gilbertson Day Care Centre |
Kirkwall |
|
|
7pm – 9pm |
King Street Halls |
Kirkwall |
|
Wednesday 11th November |
9.45am – 11am |
West Mainland Day Centre |
Mobile Library, Orkney Mainland – Stenness & Harray |
|
|
11am -11.45am |
Stenness School |
Mobile Library |
|
|
12 noon -12:30pm |
Bigswell Road |
Mobile Library |
|
|
1.15pm -2.45pm |
Harray Hall |
Mobile Library |
|
|
4pm – 6pm |
St Margaret’s Church Hall |
St Margaret’s Hope |
|
Monday 16th November |
6pm -8pm |
Stronsay Community Hall |
Stronsay |
|
Tuesday 17th November |
12 noon -12.30pm |
Twatt Kirk |
Mobile Library: Orkney Mainland – Dounby/Sandwick |
|
|
12:45pm – 1.30pm |
Birsay Palace |
Mobile Library |
|
|
2pm -3.30pm |
Dounby School |
Mobile Library |
|
|
3.30pm – 4pm |
Dounby School (Public) |
Mobile Library |
|
|
4pm-6.30pm |
Dounby Village |
Mobile Library |
|
Wednesday 18th November |
9.30 -11am |
Dounby School |
Mobile Library: Orkney Mainland – Dounby/Birsay |
|
|
11am -11.30am |
Dounby School (Public) |
Mobile Library |
|
|
11.45am -12:30pm |
Kelowna |
Mobile Library |
|
|
1.15pm -2:15pm |
Birsay Hall |
Mobile Library |
|
|
2.30pm – 3pm |
Quilco |
Mobile Library |
|
Thursday 19th November |
10am – 11am |
Stromness Community Centre |
Stromness |
|
|
12 noon – 1pm |
Bilde Trust |
Laura Grimond House, Kirkwall |
Suzy said: “If you’re eligible for help, you should soon receive your Information Pack through the post. This will clearly explain what help is available to you to convert one TV to digital.
“I can help you to make your application for help or answer any of your questions in person if you come along to one of the events being run by the Help Scheme in November.
“Even if you’re not eligible yourself, I’d urge you to pop along for a few minutes to pick up some information. The chances are that everyone in Orkney knows someone in their family, street, or community, who might need a helping hand to switch to digital TV.
“You could be the one person they know or trust to give them good advice so they’re not left with a blank screen at switchover.”
As well as the Help Scheme events, eligible people are being asked to respond to their Information Packs as soon as possible as Help Scheme engineers will be working on the Orkney Islands in November to install digital equipment for people who have taken up the offer of help.
Suzy said: “We’re encouraging you to take advantage of our team of installers working on the Orkney Islands during November.
“We’ll be able to respond very quickly to your applications to convert one TV to digital because we will be on the islands themselves at the time. We will be working with local installers to deliver the Help Scheme.
“For customers who would like a Freeview service in time for Christmas, now is the right time to get in touch with the Help Scheme.”
People are eligible if they are:
• Aged 75 or over;
• If they have lived in a care home for six months or more,
• If they get (or could get) attendance or constant attendance allowance, mobility supplement or disability living allowance,
• Or if they are registered blind or partially sighted.
For a one-off payment of £40, eligible people in the STV North region will be offered:
• Easy-to-use Freeview equipment to convert one television set,
• Installation of that equipment,
• An aerial check and upgrade if necessary, for people who own their own aerials,
• A demonstration of how it works, and
• Someone to call for help while they are getting used to it.
This service is free for people who are eligible and who also receive pension credit, income support, income-based jobseekers allowance, or employment and support allowance.
To make it even easier, eligible people can choose to apply by calling the Help Scheme free on 0800 408 7654 or instead they can nominate someone else to make their application for them.
The Help Scheme is run by the BBC through an agreement with the Government, and has been designed around the needs of older and disabled people. Equipment has been chosen to be easy to use, and contact centre, delivery staff and installers have all been trained to understand and respect older and disabled people. Installers are vetted, carry identification and will never call without having made an appointment.
ENDS
Media Contacts:
Sean Haran
PR and Communications Manager
T: 0191 245 8772
M: 07939147719
E: sean.haran@eaga.com
Sarah Fairfax
Communications Executive
T: 0191 245 8834
M: 07730424407
E: sarah.fairfax@eaga.com
NOTES TO EDITORS
Switchover Help Scheme
The Help Scheme is run by the BBC under an agreement with the Government to help older and disabled people make the change to digital TV. Eligible people are offered practical help to convert one of their TV sets to digital in the run-up to switchover in each region.
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 or over, or they have lived in a care home for six months or more; they get (or could get) disability living allowance, or attendance or constant attendance allowance, or mobility supplement, or they are registered blind or partially sighted.
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. More information is available by calling 0800 408 7654 or through visiting www.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.
Digital UK - Digital UK is the independent, not-for-profit organisation established in 2005 to implement digital switchover. It is jointly owned and funded by the public-service broadcasters (BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Five, S4C and Teletext) and the digital multiplex operators.
eaga - eaga, the 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.