Post Office Closures
The government says the 800 smallest post offices in the UK are used by an average of 16 people a week and that the rural network is currently supported by an annual subsidy of £150m.
Anyone like to hazard a guess at the subsidy per customer? I’ll bet it’s even more than the subsidy that poor people like me get on our opera tickets.
Sandy Edwards who runs a post office in the village of Auldgirth, Dumfries and Galloway, travelled to London to join the rally.
She said: "Post offices in places like Auldgirth actually benefit the community.
"There is a central area where people can meet.
That’s lame. The justification for funding rural Post Offices is to supply a place for people to meet? That’s like suggesting that we should give old people PCs because they dissipate heat that keeps you warm. Of course, the PC does give off heat, but it’s hardly the most efficient or controllable way of doing it. It’s just a byproduct.
If we want, as Sandy Edwards does, a place for people to meet, wouldn’t a pub or cafe be a more ideal space?
RSS
Get your voice heard - the rural post office network - www.ruralaction.org.uk
Everyone has a view on the future of the rural post office network - but will everyone’s views be heard? Perhaps you have a good idea on the future of the network; perhaps your own experience shows a vital aspect has been over-looked. Now there is a simple way to get your point across quickly and easily. The recent popularity in ‘blogging’ - contributing to a weblog or online message board - has inspired ruralnet|uk to set up a blog for this issue: a simple technique allowing thousands to add their personal comments to the debate. Over half of all UK homes have access to an online computer - as well as libraries, youth clubs, schools, day centres, UK online centres, and even some Post Offices! Anyone with an interest can visit the blog and leave their comment on the consultation questions, and read what others are saying.
ruralnet|uk Chief Executive, Simon Berry said "Government consultations are all very well, but they are time consuming and complicated. Fine for the professionals but not for the people affected. It will take just a few moments for anyone to have their say in our collective consultation and their views will go straight to the government."
Visit www.ruralaction.org.uk, click any of the ‘Comment’ links and have your say. You can comment on as little or as much as you like. It is as simple and quick as that. There is no printing or sending to do.
At the end of the consultation period, ruralnet|uk undertakes to summarise objectively all the comments received, and feed them into the Government’s consultation procedure. Says Simon: "We were the first to use the internet to run a collective consultation on the ‘first’ rural white paper way back in the spring of 1999 when we received 1154 contributions. It was said to be "one of the most useful submissions receivedâ€. So we know that a collective view from rural people, presented by us will carry a lot of weight.
So, don’t be left out: go to www.ruralaction.org.uk state your views and have an impact on the future of post office services in rural areas.