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All Experts OnlinePost Office Outreach Services
Answered 20 Feb 2008 by p.shore
Question
I am contacting you on behalf of Eynsford Parish Council and the village of Eynsford in Kent. We have recently lost our Post Office in the recent round of closures along with that in our neighbouring village Farningham. As you are no doubt aware, this will cause considerable problems for the elderly and less-mobile and much inconvenience for other residents and local business. In addition it is the removal of a local service and we do not wish to see our other local retailers going the same way. I have written to the Post Office about our options regarding having some sort of Outreach Post Office service in the village (or shared between the two villages), but have not had any response yet. I was wondering what advice you could provide on this - i.e. how would an outreach service work, are we likely to get one, is there anything we can do to move the process along?
Answer
Outreach service is a way to continue to provide you with Post Office products and services in some of the locations where a branch has been closed. Request for access to an outreach service is part of the consultation process, where you will need to provide evidence of need by consultation with your community.
4 types of Outreach service exist:
- Mobile Post Office
- Hosted service
- Partner service
- Home Delivery service
For each of these services an established subpostmaster (known as the “core” subpostmaster) will travel into a nearby community to provide a local Post Office service; in addition to running their own Post Office branch.
Mobile Post Office:
A travelling Post Office situated within a van operated by the subpostmaster that will visit small communities at set times and days each week, to deliver core Post Office products and services to customers.
Hosted service:
A fixed site Post Office branch from which the subpostmaster or his assistants will provide core Post Office products and services during restricted hours each week.
The premises are owned by a third party, for example, a shop or community centre.
Partner service:
A fixed site Post Office branch where a local partner (such as a pub landlord), appointed by the subpostmaster, transacts a reduced range of Post Office products and services from the partner’s own premises.
Home Delivery service:
A service for very small communities whereby the subpostmaster delivers a reduced range of Post Office products and services which are ordered over the telephone by customers. The products may either be delivered to customer’s home or at a local Drop-In Session. There will not be a physical Post Office building in the community.
For more information - and to make sure you are fully informed and take opportunities to move the process along - contact the Post Office consultation team:
National Consultation Team Post Office Ltd FREEPOST CONSULTATION TEAM (no stamp is required)
Telephone: 08457 22 33 44
See website for full details: www.postoffice.co.uk/portal/po/content1?catId=57600693&mediaId=57600694
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Patrick has been involved in supporting community IT centres, community groups and individuals with funding advice & information as well as running funding workshops.