Billesdon Community Shop and Post Office

Community Spirit Keeps Village Shop Open
Events surrounding our Post Office reveal much about the good relationship between business and community in the village. Billesdon Post Office, like many others around the country, was threatened with closure: early 2003 the local Postmaster was about to retire and he owned the post office business and site and wanted to realise his assets by selling it for residential development. However, Billesdon Post Office is not just a facility for the collection of pension allowances and the sale of stationery, birthday cards and glue; it is also a local centre for mail sorting and delivery for the surrounding area. Indeed it employs 6 people and is an important base for Government, District and Parish information, with the potential of becoming a designated electronic retrieval location. When the news of the pending closure became common knowledge, the Parish Council, along with Post Office representatives, responded by investigating the possibility of relocating the business within the village. The initial trawl of potentially suitable locations/buildings was soon exhausted and proved to be negative. This news was not received well by the villagers and, following pressure from many people, the Parish Council arranged an Open Meeting in the Chapel, which was attended by over 200 people. Debate and discussion flowed into the late hours until it was finally agreed that a Board of Trustees should be set up, headed by a local farmer, to oversee a survival package. Negotiations with the outgoing Postmaster to purchase the business as a going concern have been successful and it should be noted that, as a gesture of goodwill, the outgoing Postmaster accepted a lower than market price for the business and property. 
 
The Trustees have now formed a company limited by guarantee, registered the company, appointed a new Postmaster and set about raising the needed capital. An appeal made to villagers to support the initiative financially raised 50% of the purchase price; the balance has been obtained as a bank loan; the Trustees have received no grants whatsoever. In applying for charitable status, the Trustees, have created a national precedent: this is the first time ever that a village-based, post office survival package has been put forward for charitable status. The long term objective by the Trustees is to repay any loans, any profit made in the future going towards other village ventures or needs. Short term objectives are to investigate new marketing/purchasing opportunities, which will provide an even better service to the village. Once again the Billesdon community spirit has come to the fore.


Information from http://www.marketharboroughonline.co.uk/pp/gold/viewGold.asp?ID&ID=4473