UPDATED ON WEDNESDAY, 28th AUGUST
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Praba, the Postmaster, apologises for the non-appearance of the mobile post-office, which was caused by a garage service unexpectedly overrunning from yesterday. He expects to be back next Wednesday from 1:45pm to 3:45pm.
UPDATED, 8th MAY 2024
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To prove the accessibility of the new mobile post office, Tina's Dad Colin today demonstrated use of the onboard lift, on his mobility scooter — though he usually uses the steps most happily, with or without his walker too. Watch a short video of the event here.
| Λ header image above: almost there! | ||
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| securely on the platform, with safety backstop raised | safely browsing in the post office! | |
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| alternatively, the steps are out | Colin tried his walker too! |
For the technically minded, the platform is effectively 55" (1400mm) long when fully deployed by 35" (890mm) wide, with 32" (810mm) between the two red safety-rails, around hip height. This is easily large enough for a wheelchair or typical mobility scooter — view the original coachbuilders' announcement here. Alternatively, there are three wide steps up into the van. Praba, the sub-Postmaster, is always ready and keen to help. Thank you, Praba, for your assistance today.
Even if you don't NEED to use the post office here in Snape, please do so if you can, as others in the village may not be fortunate enough to have an easy choice. "Use it or lose it". It's open 1:45pm to 3:45pm on Wednesdays.
UPDATED ON SUNDAY, 5th MAY (a personal view)
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There has been some adverse publicity in the village recently about the accessibility of the new mobile Post Office. This has not been helped by Post Office HQ's coyness about the capabilities of this particular vehicle, whether in Snape itself where it was advertised very shortly before its inception (and somewhat baldly) that "this service will be operated from a mobile van", or indeed nationally where there are only internet images of similarly adapted red vans simply with their rear doors open — and until now by me too, mea culpa! ;-)
It is only on other websites that one can discover the real facts of what it can really offer. One might wonder whether this is an attempt by PO HQ to avoid the mobile post offices becoming too popular, so they can be withdrawn in time as well, to reduce expenditure on services to the public still further.
Now, after helpful conversations and email-exchanges with Praba, our new Sub-post-master, I have learnt more about the van's true capabilities. It surprised me to learn that, not only can the steps extend to become a lift to accommodate a wheelchair, but also (depending on its width) even a self-propelled mobility vehicle. Praba is always there to oversee and help. He also kindly supplied me with two of his own images of the ramp/lift deployed, for our information.
You can see here how the lift operates (in a ©YouTube video produced by the coachbuilders) — with a similar model actually in use here (from 0m45 to 1m35), though it would be operated FOR you. Note too that a small barrier swings up to prevent the wheelchair rolling off during the lift's operation. We hope to have some Snape images for you later this week, to add to these two ©YouTube videos.
Bearing in mind that, until recently, we had three half-day sessions per week (though the Post Office's own website then only officially admitted to two), last Wednesday (1st), only some 15 customers arrived for the office's now-weekly visit. Maybe other potential visitors were deterred in the belief that it is inaccessible, as an uninformed inspection of the van would certainly suggest — but you will now realise that this is really not so.
Please inform anyone who could benefit from
knowledge of the mobile post office's true accessibility.
Be sure that continued low use of the Snape service may allow PO HQ to claim their statistics show they are justified in cutting it completely — and, incidentally, only by greater use of the service can there be any likelihood of the hours ever being extended again. In other words, we "use it or lose it".
Either way, by being economical with the truth about the full potential of this particular service, The Post Office are denying it to those, less able, who could benefit from it the most.
Steve Stocks, Webmaster
e: webmaster@snapevillage.info
UPDATED 17th APRIL, 2024
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The new mobile post-office has now been operating for three weeks, staffed by sub-postmaster Praba, from Cliff Lane in Ipswich. Although the van has steps, these can in fact be extended to double as a wheelchair-lift, so it is fully accessible, but Praba is also ready to offer assistance to the less able with both the steps and the lift. He is keen to offer a full service (including stationery and greetings cards) which also he supplies, on other days of the week, to places as far away as Lavenham. Although he is here for just two hours per week, it really is for us to "use it or lose it [too]", as Post Office HQ will doubtless be watching our usage statistics most carefully.
From Wednesday, 27th March
the service reduced to
TWO hours on Wednesdays, 13:45 to 15:45.
UPDATED THURSDAY, 14th MARCH AT 11:00am
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Villagers and politicians have united against changes to Post Office provision in Suffolk,
which will see one community [Kelsale] without any post-office service at all.
You can read more here. ©EADT
Yesterday's poster reporting "some minor changes to the opening hours" — 8½ to two!
For fuller (legible) details see the Post Office's undated letter below.
Also, in their words, "We'll be accepting your comments until 5 April 2024 —
Want to tell us what you think?". If so, follow the COMPLAINTS link, also below.
UPDATED WEDNESDAY, 13th MARCH
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An undated "Area Review Customer Letter"
was released on/about 8th March by The Post Office.
Inaccuracies in the data suggest that this is a desk exercise by the Post Office,
without the benefit of a visit to those affected — and apparently decided in London.
Briefly, our service of three visits a week, totalling 8½ hours (not two and 5½)
and supplied locally from Saxmundham, is being reduced to
TWO hours each Wednesday afternoon, operating out of Ipswich.
This is despite the reported willingness of Sax PO to continue the service.
COMPLAINTS can be made by 5th April (so post-implementation) to Post Office by visiting
https://www.postofficeviews.co.uk/national-consultation-team/saxmundham-outreach-ip17-1df-053130/consultation/intro/
You can click here to read and/or download
the Post Office's official "Area Review Customer Letter".
UPDATED ON 6th MARCH, 2024
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"As to the Post Office plans to downgrade very significantly the outreach service at the Village Hall, I have written to object to the proposals and to make it clear that the present service is highly valued by local people. Caroline has written in similar terms from the Village Hall Trustees. I have also spoken to people in the other villages affected about working together to change the decision." — Paul Richards, 5/3/24
Colleagues in Kelsale have also been most active in opposition to any closure of their Post Office as, under the proposals presented with no local consultation, Kelsale will lose their service completely, expected to travel into Saxmundham instead. We and other local villages, on the other hand, are promised SOME residual service, albeit maybe only a short visit from a mobile post-office once a week — details are vague and incomplete just now.
Attached is an exchange of emails with Kelsale over the last few days, with letters they've written and received, and press cuttings, all of which may prompt some ideas for action within Snape to forestall changes to our post-office services.
POSTED ON 13th FEBRUARY
From: Therese Coffey MP <therese.coffey.mp@parliament.uk>
Date: 13/02/24, 15:20
I have asked for an urgent meeting with the Post Office Minister (Kevin Hollinrake) and Post Office Executives, following the news that Post Office Ltd has decided to unilaterally close the Kelsale outreach service and make changes to the wider network — including transferring the Snape, Yoxford, Wangford and Walberswick outreach services to a mobile van operating from Ipswich, rather than Saxmundham. The changes coincide with the retirement of the Saxmundham Subpostmaster, but his successor has already committed to continuing the outreach services. I am concerned about this, including the proposed reduction in service. I will also investigate why they will not allow another willing sub-postmaster to take on the work. Whilst a mobile van is better than nothing, I want to push back on these proposals and challenge the Post Office to think again.
[from Thérèse Coffey's Newsletter]