Press Release

Release Date: 12th February, 2009.
Looking Local has released the first iteration of its local government portal designed specifically for the Nintendo Wii games console, at the 'Looking Local: Extend Your Reach through New Channels' conference in Birmingham today.

Looking Local is collaborating with the Government's Technology Strategy Board on the Assisted Living Innovation Platform to enhance telehealth and telecare support for older and chronically ill people across the UK and in Europe. The new Looking Local Wii platform has been developed as an effective delivery channel for such assisted living solutions and could subsequently be used for a range of digital government services already available through the interactive TV and mobile portal, Looking Local.

This is the first government service designed and deployed specifically for the Wii in the UK and makes the award-winning local government portal available to thousands more households across the UK.

The Wii was the must-have present of Christmas 2008 and has been popular across the generations. With easy to use controls which overcome keyboard issues among those with impaired hand control, the Wii's popularity among the elderly in care homes has already made headlines.

Steve Langrick, Senior Officer for Looking Local at Kirklees Council commented: "Looking Local already offers access to local and central government services via digital interactive TV and mobile, so extending access to the Wii was a logical step. We are confident that this new platform for Looking Local will help government providers significantly in their efforts to reduce digital exclusion and problems associated with isolation among vulnerable sectors of the population."

Many customers, particularly in the housing and health sectors, had been looking for a cost effective way to make services available to those who need them most and the Wii fits their requirements in many ways; economical, easy to use, popular, accessible and via Looking Local capable of delivering a range of additional local and national government services.

Looking Local last month won a Highly Commended accolade at the National e-government Awards for the significant take up and usage it has achieved for local government services through the Looking Local portal. It was one of only eleven public service organisations to be recognized at the award ceremony, all of whom were praised by Gordon Brown via video link for their major contribution to improved government services.

Notes for Editors

Looking Local is a not for profit organisation wholly owned by Kirklees Council working on behalf of the local government community in the UK. It provides a unique and cost effective technology to publish local government services and is a key contributor to raising awareness and developing capability within the digital TV and mobile space.

Over 70 public sector bodies across the UK already subscribe to the Looking Local portal which they use to provide services and information via digital television and mobile to their customers and residents in areas such as transport, education, health, emergency services, job opportunities and public consultation. Local Authorities often provide the content for their Looking Local microsites through feeds from their web-based services, and can include links to national information services available from Looking Local national partners such as Transport Direct, Jobcentre Plus and the Legal Services Commission.

The wii platform development is part of a project to extend telehealth and telecare systems to include a range of new devices around the home. The technology will help prolong independent living for elderly and chronically ill patients by creating a virtual community of connected carers and cared-for and by enhancing community based care and health information. Telehealth and Telecare provider Tunstall Group Limited is the lead partner on the project, with other partners including Fold Housing Association, Housing 21 and University of Sheffield.

The Technology Strategy Board is a business-led executive non-departmental public body, established by the government. Its role is to promote and support research into, and development and exploitation of, technology and innovation for the benefit of UK business, in order to increase economic growth and improve quality of life. It is sponsored by the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS). For more information please visit www.innovateuk.org.

The Assisted Living Innovation Platform, which was launched in November 2007, brings together government, business and the research community to address health and care challenges caused by the welcome impact of living longer, but the increasing demand for care for people with long term conditions.