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Important proposals for the future of postal services in Northern Ireland were made on 1 April – and it’s not good news because the Post Office plans to close 42 post offices altogether and replace another 54 with outreach services.
Important proposals for the future of postal services in Northern Ireland were made on 1 April – and it wasn't good news because the Post Office plans to close 42 post offices altogether and replace another 54 with outreach services. This will reduce the number of permanent post offices from 534 to 438.
Rural Community Network (RCN) is responding quickly to the new developments by holding a meeting in Cookstown on 8 April at 10.30am. Both Post Office Ltd and Post Watch will attend to brief participants on the announcements and answer questions.
Older people’s Charity Help the Aged in Northern Ireland is urging people to have a say in what happens to their local community post office.
There will be a six week consultation period so the meeting will help organisations draw up their responses but RCN is calling for the time to be doubled to ensure services are properly planned.
RCN held a successful event on 11 March to discuss the contributions of rural post offices to local communities and possibilities for future postal services. It was attended by sub-postmasters and members of RCN and the Rural Support Networks.
Due to the withdrawal of government business such as benefit payments and changing customer habits, UK post offices last year made losses of £4 million per week. In Northern Ireland, one in every five rural branches has fewer than 100 customer visits a week.
"Rural post offices provide a vital service for sections of the community, particularly for older people, those with poor literacy and numeracy skills, lone parents, those on benefits and newcomers such as the migrant population.
"The changes proposed will particularly impact on those who are most vulnerable and disadvantaged and it is vital that their voices are heard during the consultation period," said Michael Hughes, chief executive officer of RCN.
Those present at the RCN event acknowledged that changes are needed, but wanted the future of rural postal services to be planned and thought through by those who run rural post offices and by local communities.
RCN will explore how best this planning can be rolled out in areas affected by closures to ensure that what is put in place offers a meaningful alternative to current Post Office services.
Please contact Karin or Mark at RCN on 028 8676 6670 for more information or to attend on 8 April; or email info@ruralcommunitynetwork.org.
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