Churches campaign to save Post Offices

The Church of England and the Methodist Church in Norfolk are uniting to throw their weight behind a new campaign to help save rural post offices.

 

The campaign, which is being spearheaded by the Revd Lorna Allies, the new Rural Adviser for the Anglicans and Methodists in Norfolk, encourages Christians to turn their backs on the internet and telephone, and return to their local post offices to buy their stamps, collect their pensions, renew their vehicle licences, do their banking, bill-paying and even get fishing permits.

 

Leaflets encouraging churchgoers to make an effort to sustain their local post office for as long as some of their neighbours need it are being distributed to Church of England and Methodist congregations and the campaign has the strong support of the Bishop of Norwich, the Rt Revd Graham James and the Chairman of the East Anglia District of the Methodist Church, the Revd Graham Thompson. It also has the backing of other Christian denominations in Norfolk including the Roman Catholics, Baptists, URC and the Salvation Army.

 

“We are encouraging our congregations to take seriously the threat to the Post Office Network and to support those who most need their local post office by giving it their custom,” said the Revd Graham Thompson. “It may not be convenient to do so, but by some personal involvement and sacrifice we hope to be able to make some difference to each local situation. The challenge for each church and chapel-goer is to make as much use as they can of their local post office in the hope of keeping it alive for others.”

 

The Bishop of Norwich said: “Post offices provide some of the social and economic glue that keeps rural communities together. They’re under threat. Part of the threat is that we don’t use them enough. That can change. Our Rural Adviser has challenged us with some simple ways in which church members, and others too, can show how much we value our post offices and our concern for those who depend on them. I wish this campaign well.”

 

Rev Lorna Allies said: “There are several things an individual can do and, if enough people do it, it could make a difference. These actions will cost little more than time and a small inconvenience initially but they will provide a practical demonstration of loving our neighbour that church members should seriously consider acting upon. The rural Post Office has been called a lifeline and we should make an effort to preserve the lifeline for as long as our neighbours need it.”   

 

A recent Age Concern survey indicates that 99% of older people in rural areas consider their local Post Office to be “a lifeline” and that 56% of over-60s in the countryside fear that Post Office closures will leave them isolated.

 

The leaflet, “Use a rural post office – throw a lifeline to your neighbour” is being distributed to all Anglican and Methodist congregations in Norfolk. To download your own copy click here.