Mel Stride, MP for Central Devon, paid a special visit to Ashburton Post Office last week to see the newly adapted Post Office van.
Sub-postmasters Stuart and Jackie Rogers have established an innovative ‘hub-and-spoke’ model for post office services, whereby the Post Office acts as the hub – with a meeting room, library, and computer facilities – and an adapted Post Office van provides outreach ‘spoke’ services to outlying areas.
The repurposed van, which was provided to Ashburton by the Post Office, is driven to the most rural and digitally excluded places in the area, offering a full range of Post Office services to residents.
The van also has a high-speed satellite internet connection, meaning that people living in areas lacking connectivity can access the internet using the van’s network.
Mr Stride said: “Having worked closely with Ashburton Post Office over many years to support their mission to establish the ‘hub-and-spoke’ model, I was delighted to be invited back to Ashburton to see the new van in action. What Stuart and Jackie have done is incredible and I look forward to seeing the wider use of this model in the future.”
Stuart Rogers, Sub-postmaster at Ashburton, said: “It is always great to welcome Mel to the Branch. We were pleased to demonstrate to Mel how we are extending our services to rural communities.”
Ashburton Post Office has been leading the way as a pioneering postal service in Devon for quite some time and is the only Post Office in the UK which gives 2p for each cash withdrawal back to good causes in the community. It has donated more than £10,000 since 2015.
