Digital UK today signed up leading charities such as Age Concern and Help the Aged to offer guidance ahead of the switch to digital television taking place over the coming years.
Three charities have teamed up with Digital UK, the organisation in charge of co-ordinating the digital TV switchover, to support the switch to digital TV.
The new organisation, Digital Outreach, brings together Age Concern England, Help the Aged, Community Service Volunteers, and Collective Enterprises Limited, a company specialising in working with the charity sector.
Preparation needed
The £2.9 million scheme will help ensure viewers are prepared when analogue television services are switched off region by region from 2008-2012.
A range of support services, including home visits and a network of help centres, will be offered by local and regional voluntary sector organisations and charities in the run-up to the digital TV switchover. First out are the first four switchover regions: Border, West Country, Wales and Granada.
Support and reassurance
“While the switch to digital TV will be easy for most people, the outreach programme is designed to complement the existing help scheme to deliver the support and reassurance required by potentially vulnerable viewers,” said David Scott, chief executive of Digital UK.
“I’m delighted we’ve been able to bring together some of the country’s leading charities to develop this genuinely innovative approach which will help to ensure everyone enjoys the benefits of digital television.”
Ian Agnew, chief executive of Digital Outreach, added: “This is an exciting opportunity for us, both in terms of being able to support older and vulnerable people through the switchover, but also in demonstrating how four large and diverse organisations can work together in such an innovative way.”
