News Release

23rd August 2010

The Switchover Help Scheme calls on residents in Oban and the south west Highlands and Islands to lend a 'Helping Hand'

The Switchover Help Scheme is launching its Helping Hand campaign in Oban, urging local people to ensure that older eligible and disabled people in the community are ready for switchover.

The Switchover Help Scheme will team up with Argyll Voluntary Action and Oban Congregational Church to launch the Helping Hand campaign at the Church’s weekly coffee morning in Tweedale Street on Monday 23 August from 10.30 am to 12.30 pm.

Representatives will be on hand to share information with locals about the practical help available through the Switchover Help Scheme for eligible older and disabled people to convert their television set to digital over a complimentary cup of tea.

The Torosay transmitter group, serving Oban and the South West Highlands and Islands, will start to switch to digital on 13 October.

People are eligible if:

• They are aged 75 or over
• 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

What’s on offer?

For a one-off payment of £40, eligible people will be offered:

• Easy-to-use equipment to convert one television set
• Installation of that equipment if requested (a delivery only option is available),
• An aerial check and upgrade if necessary and where possible 
• A demonstration of how it works, and
• A twelve month aftercare service

The standard offer for eligible people in the STV Central TV region is for a Freeview set-top box installed on one TV. Most households will be able to receive more than 40 Freeview channels via an aerial. Around 15 of the most watched Freeview channels will be available throughout the region, including all of the public service channels.

Most people will be asked to pay £40 towards the standard offer of help. For eligible people who are also on pension credit, income support, income-based jobseeker's allowance or income-related employment and support allowance, the help is free.

All eligible people in the STV Central TV region can also choose from other digital options, including freesat and Sky amongst others, some of which cost extra.

As well as the Help Scheme events, eligible people are being asked to respond to their Information Packs as soon as possible. Or 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. Visit www.helpscheme.co.uk for more information.

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Media Contacts:
Jenny Oxbrow / Roisin-Alana Di Giacomo
Weber Shandwick
T: 0131 556 6649 / 01463 716 739
M: 07770 886 925 07770 886 940
E: joxbrow@webershandwick.com / RDiGiacomo@webershandwick.com

Notes to Editors:

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.