Save our Post Office!
Sub-postmasters throughout the country and the 4 million pensioners who use Post Office Card Accounts have been shocked to discover that the government are proposing to abolish the Card Account in 2010. Indeed some 3000 pensioners have already received letters telling them they must use bank or building society accounts. Abolishing the Card Account and forcing people to go to banks will inevitably mean that many post offices will close.
Post offices play a critical role in rural villages; their closure can result in problems for disadvantaged residents trying to access cash and basic groceries, problems for the elderly, disabled and mothers with young children and a loss of independence and community spirit for residents.
South Petherwin’s Post Office and Stores is at the heart of the village. Pauline Sandercock and her staff provide a wonderful service which is vital to the community. They need your support. Can you imagine what the village would be like if they weren’t there? Everyone can do something to help. Write to your MP. Write to the Department of Works and Pensions. Write to the press. Talk to Pauline about how you can help. At the very least, make more use of the facilities that they offer - otherwise they may not be there much longer.
South Petherwin Post Office-Stores
As you may have read in the press recently, the Department of Works and Pensions are looking to do away with the Post Office Card Account.
If you get a letter asking you for your bank details and stating that this is the only way to get your pension, etc, in the future - please either ‘bin’ it or reply back saying you want to keep your card account, to enable you to collect your money at the Post Office.
The reason I say this is, if we lose the card account, the Post Office here would have a hard job to stay afloat, so will therefore inevitably close!
So please use it whenever you can, posting, banking, paying all your bills that you can through us will certainly help to keep it open.
Also, another fact: if the Post Office were to close, the shop itself would not be viable, so therefore both facilities would go. We cannot compete in the shop with the likes of Tesco’s, etc, as they buy in such bulk they sell at a lower price than we can buy it for. But we do have our ‘Special Offers’ which change monthly approximately, and we do offer personal friendly service to all our customers. We also try and sell as much Cornish goods where possible. So please come in and pay us a visit. Hopefully you will be pleasantly surprised at what we carry in stock and pleased with the service you get.
Because we are really up against it now and it is no good, when it closes, to moan about ‘Oh we have no shop or post office in the village’ and you have to pay either bus fare, taxi, petrol/diesel, parking fees, etc, to go into town.
So please give us a chance. Looking forward to see you.
And a big thank you to the people who do support us.
Pauline Sandercock Tel 01566 774428