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News Release
10th March 2010
Police give a helping hand with the digital switchover
Police have been visiting local residents across Avon and Somerset assisting the Switchover Help Scheme as part of their ‘Helping Hand’ campaign.
The Switchover Help Scheme aims to ensure older and disabled people know about the help available to make the switch to digital TV. People often turn to Police Officers for help and advice so the Switchover team contacted police to ask them to assist them with switchover to digital TV in their communities.
Sergeant Darren Warr from Bristol East said: “For many vulnerable people, television is a lifeline and we want to help ensure nobody is left with a blank screen at switchover time.
“Our neighbourhood policing team had a special digital switchover training session and we are now able to advise members of the community who might not have known how to make the switch.”
With less than a month to go to until switchover, Neighborhood Policing Teams and Community Support Officers are looking out for those that might need help and passing on information about the scheme.
Ed Jezard, West Regional Manager for the Switchover Help Scheme said: “We want to ensure that every eligible person knows about the Switchover Help Scheme. Avon and Somerset Police are doing a great job by lending a helping hand to older and disabled people in this way. We want to encourage everyone to lend a helping hand as you may be the one person they trust to give them good advice.”
Avon and Somerset’s Neighbourhood Watch coordinators are also reaching out to older and disabled people in their communities and encouraging them to make contact with the Switchover Help Scheme.
The switchover starts on 24 March in the South West . Help is being made available to older and disabled people via the BBC under an agreement with the Government.
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. Textphone users can call 0800 40 85 936. For more information, please visit www.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 the West region on 24 March 2010 and completes on 7 April 2010.
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.