POSTMISTRESS CAMPAIGN AT GREENODD
Published on 07/04/2008
A SOUTH Lakes sub postmistress is urging customers to help save her threatened branch.
Janet Willis organised an emergency meeting in Greenodd to gauge
support.
Around 350 people from the village and outlying areas answered the call and packed Greenodd village hall.
Now Mrs Willis is asking supporters to take the next step and actively join the campaign to stop Greenodd’s counter from being shut down.
One suggestion was to boycott certain post office services.
Mrs Willis, however, believes the way forward is for people to actually pledge to use more services.
She has already made up a template for people to sign, pledging they will start paying at least one bill through the branch counter if the Post Office will leave Greenodd open in return.
Mrs Willis said: “Since the meeting people have kept coming in and
asking what they can do to help.
“We are at the stage now where we are setting up the steering committee. Then there will be sub committees who will be organising different approaches such as putting up banners,arranging petitions, helping people write letters and so on.
“There are certain utility bills and things like council tax that people pay by standing order or direct debit. I am asking people to pay these over the counter.
“It will generate income for the Post Office.
“They are coming at this from a financial angle and I genuinely
believe that if the post office in Greenodd closes the Post Office could lose 80 per cent of my business to other areas.”
Taking the lead, Mrs Willis now pays all of her bills through the post
office counter.
She said: “I am trying to take a positive stance to help the Post Office so they will keep me open.”