Village Post Office hailed

Post Office services in a Mid Wales village have been hailed as one of the best in the UK.

Despite numerous village Post Offices in the region closing over the past 12 months, Newbridge-on-Wye Post Office, near Llandrindod Wells, has been named the Customer Heroes for Wales.

Sarah Mason, postmistress, said she was delighted with the award – but that the customers were the reason for its success.

She said: "Without the wonderful customers, we are nothing. The village post offices around here have gone through a lot over the past year and we are delighted to have some good news coming our way."

The branch will now go forward to the national final for the People's Post Office Awards being held in London on May 21, where it will be in the running for the national Customers Heroes accolade.

Huw Roberts, director of Welsh Affairs, Royal Mail Group, said: "Receiving the customer heroes award is a worthy accolade for Newbridge-on-Wye Post Office, particularly as it reflects recognition of the team's hard work and dedication to the customers they serve every day.

"We congratulate the team on their success and wish them the best of luck in the national finals in May."

Mrs Mason, 38, said however, it had been a hard job to get as far as they had – at one point she was so disillusioned about the future, she wished she could give up.

She said the advent of the internet, greater mobility and a need to cut costs placed many of the UK's small post offices under threat. "Five years ago we were left to feel under-valued by post office hierarchy," she said.

"We could have pulled out of the business, the possibility was there, but instead of letting it go under we worked with the village and things have gone from strength to strength.

"When we arrived here six years ago we had very little support. The assembly government's attitude has altered too, because there are grant schemes available now to help people update their post offices.

"In fact, we're applying for a grant now which could help transform our business further and help us employ another person."

The post office in Newbridge-on-Wye is also a general stores, and serves a community of a few hundred people in a rural area dominated by farming.

By Andrew Morris