New post office needs community’s support
Encouraging local people to make use of the new Post Office Local at Wellingore Garage, staff member Heather Blake. Photo: 0462SB-2
A NEW village post office which opened for business just 11 months ago still needs the community to show its support to keep it going.
Thanks to the co-operation of business owner Ashley Crags, a post office opened at Wellingore Garage at the end of October last year, as a replacement for the loss of the post office in Navenby.
It also became a Post Office Local convenience shop, the first of its kind in Lincolnshire and the first time a shop has been in the village for many years.
It is nearing the end of its 12-month trial period and its future is still uncertain, as the number of customers has been lower than the Post Office had estimated by as much as 50 per cent at times.
Mr Crags said: “There is no salary, it is based on through-put. If it was just a post office it would not happen as they barely cover the commission - it has to be bolted onto another business. We would like to see it thrive and survive, but we are a business not a charity.”
Mr Crags said he has been working hard to build up support and added: “We have been reminding people to make the most of the post office and shop or it could close and so far it seems to be working.”
He said the community had been without a post office for 10 months, meaning they were only just beginning to reverse the trend of residents going elsewhere for their post office services.
He hopes it will continue to grow as it has done over the last few months and he predicted Christmas and colder weather would boost figures further to a more reassuring level.
More services have been added to attract customers looking to get their car tax, US Dollars and Euros and 24 hours for any currency, automated banking services, bill and budget payment schemes, Post Office card accounts and other usual post office services.
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Monday 20 May 2013
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