News Release

15th January 2010

Maggie Philbin urges people to lend a Helping Hand

Well-known broadcaster and former Tomorrow’s World presenter, Maggie Philbin, and mascot Digit Al joined forces today in Cardiff to launch the Helping Hand campaign for the Switchover Help Scheme.

In just a few weeks time digital switchover reaches south east Wales and parts of mid and west Wales. The Helping Hand campaign urges everyone to make sure older and disabled people in their area know about the help they can get from the Help Scheme to switch to digital TV.

Maggie says, “Even if you’ve had a digital telly for years, you may have friends or neighbours who haven’t made the switch yet, and who may be confused about the process.  The Switchover Help Scheme offers practical support to help older and disabled people convert one of their TV sets to digital.  We can all lend a helping hand by making sure that older and disabled members of our community know about help they can get from the Help Scheme.”

Maggie was joined at the Royal British Legion in Rumney, Cardiff by Bert Wickham, who has been chosen by the Cardiff Older Person’s Forum as their Digital Champion.  Bert has helped lots of people in his local area make the switch to digital TV.  Bert says: “Switchover is coming soon! Give a Helping Hand and remind older and disabled people in your area about the Help Scheme. You never know, you may be the one person that they trust to give them good advice.”

The BBC-run Help Scheme offers practical help to older and disabled people to convert one of their TV sets to digital in time for switchover.  Those eligible for the help have already been contacted by the Help Scheme but must reply by post or telephone call to get the help they are entitled to.

Melfyn Clwyd Roberts, Wales National Manager of the Switchover Help Scheme, says, “Maybe you have already switched.  Now it is time to think of those who still need help, particularly older and disabled people who might be leaving it to the last minute, or might not be sure what to do. Lend a Helping Hand by telling them about the Switchover Help Scheme.”

Experts from the Help Scheme will be visiting shopping centres, community centres and libraries across mid and west Wales to provide advice on what assistance is available for people to switch to digital.

Helping Hand materials and more information on the Helping Hand campaign are available at selected local Age Concern outlets in Pontypridd, Merthyr Tydfil, Ceredigion, Aberaeron and Powys.  Helping Hand and Switchover Help Scheme materials are also available from BBC Cymru Wales in Llandaf and from Cardiff Council’s C2C (Connect to Cardiff) Help Centre. 

To apply for help from the Switchover Help Scheme, or to find out if you are eligible for help, call the free helpline number on 0800 40 87 654, or 0800 40 85  905 if they need help in Welsh.  Textphone users can call 0800 40 85 936.  For more information, please visit www.helpscheme.co.uk or e-mail info@helpscheme.co.uk.  To find out more about digital switchover, visit www.digitaluk.co.uk.

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NOTES TO EDITORS

Switchover begins in parts of west and central Wales from 10 February 2010, and in south east Wales from 3 March 2010.

Information locations –
People can pick up Helping Hand materials and information about the Helping Hand campaign at the following locations: 

Switchover Help Scheme -

People aged 75 and over, eligible for certain disability benefits, registered blind or partially sighted or living in care homes are entitled to practical help from the BBC-run Switchover Help Scheme. For £40, they will be given equipment to switch one TV per household to digital. They will be able to have that equipment installed if they want it, a demonstration of how it works and a number to call while they get used to things. If they’re eligible and also on income-related benefits, the help will be free. Everyone eligible will be contacted directly before switchover. More information is available on 0800 408 7654.

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.

Digital Outreach Limited - Digital Outreach Ltd was set up through a third/private sector partnership between Age Concern; Help the Aged, Community Service Volunteers and Collective Enterprises Ltd to help older and disabled people benefit from new technology and services delivered in their own homes. Digital Outreach Ltd currently works under contract with Digital UK to deliver the Digital Switchover Community Outreach Programme.

Maggie Philbin - Maggie Philbin has worked in television for over 30 years. Currently providing analysis on technology for BBC Breakfast and a regular reporter on Inside Out, she has been making complicated science engaging since presenting Tomorrow's World and Hospital Watch.
Technology which we now take for granted was demonstrated for the very first time by Maggie -the fax machine, the first supermarket barcode reader and the first sat nav. She also demonstrated the first fishing rod that lit up in the dark, the first washing line that sang when it rained and the first electric blanket that knew where your hot bits were. She tends to keep quiet about that!

Maggie is passionate to make sure that young and old make the most of modern technology. Through groundbreaking events like Teentech, she encourages young people and their parents to understand the wide range of opportunities in science and technology. She also works with Age Concern to make sure older people realise the powerful modern communication tools are for them as well as their children and grandchildren.