In New Mills the minister saw some of the work that High Peak Community Arts has done with local people in recent months. These included the Arts Exchange project for people with disabilities, 'Common Ground', a play about the Kinder Trespass, and arts workshops for children and people recovering from major illness.

Staff of HPCA were worried that a recent Government report might herald a return to a narrow definition of 'excellence'. This could see arts funding directed to performances for and by an elite and away from grass roots participation.

"I was happy to reassure them that this was not the case," said Mr Burnham.

"Funding for people to take part in creative work really is what it is all about. High Peak Community Arts showed me some wonderful examples of art in action."

"It was good to show him also that the Arts are a living, breathing process here which brings added zest to people's lives here," said Mr Levitt.

In Glossop he saw Digital Outreach, a company formed by three national charities (Help the Aged, Age Concern and Community Service Volunteers) and a Glossop company, CEL.

Their role is to arrange for advice and support to go to people who are elderly, frail or disabled on the process of changeover to digital terrestrial television. Locally, that process will start later this year as the switchover date for the Granada region, autumn 2009, approaches.

"People need advice and guidance well in advance of digital switchover day," said Mr Burnham. "It was good to see the interest in switchover in High Peak and to hear that Digital Outreach is well prepared to do its job."

Digital Outreach is currently working in two smaller TV regions which will switch in the next few months, Borders and South West. In 2009 Granada will be the first of the large areas to switch when over 3 million people will switch from analogue to digital TV on one day.

High Peak is currently in the 30% of UK which cannot receive digital terrestrial television at all.

Digital TV locally is only available by satellite, on subscription or via new Freesat service.