THE SUBPOSTMASTER - JUNE ISSUE
June's issue of the The SubPostmaster magazine
June's issue of the The SubPostmaster magazine
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News roundup<br />
Report submitted to Welsh Government<br />
The NFSP submitted a report to<br />
the Welsh Government on behalf of<br />
the Wales/Cymru branch in May<br />
regarding access to high street<br />
banking in Wales.<br />
Wales is probably one of the most<br />
affected parts of the UK, alongside<br />
Northern Ireland and rural Scotland, as<br />
broadband coverage is not as<br />
widespread in more rural areas,<br />
therefore online provision may not be<br />
an option.<br />
Distance to the nearest alternative<br />
banking facility will be greater in<br />
Wales, due to its rural nature.<br />
The NFSP believes post offices offer<br />
a ready-made solution for bank<br />
branch closures, so government needs<br />
to adapt the access criteria to include<br />
opening hours, model type and<br />
banking services.<br />
New Members’<br />
Editors announced<br />
We are delighted to announce that<br />
Tim Allen and Jon Bumphrey will take<br />
over as joint Members’ Editors of The<br />
SubPostmaster magazine from the<br />
August edition.<br />
Jon is a fourth-generation postmaster<br />
and he and his family have owned<br />
around 20 branches over the past 100<br />
years. He said: “This gives me valuable<br />
insight into where the Post Office has<br />
come from, where it is headed, and<br />
what it means to its staff, customers,<br />
and communities.<br />
“This role interested me because I will<br />
relish the opportunity to have first-hand<br />
access to the people who make a lot of<br />
the decisions that affect what we do<br />
every day in our branches.”<br />
Jon owns Evesham PO, a Main high<br />
street branch with 19 outreaches and he<br />
has also recently launched a Banking<br />
Hub.<br />
Tim became postmaster of Kington in<br />
2019 after a career in<br />
telecommunications and property. He<br />
was part of the NFSP delegation who<br />
handed the DVLA petition into 10<br />
Downing Street in November and he<br />
has also written several blogs which can<br />
be found on the NFSP website.<br />
Tim said: “I very much look forward to<br />
the possibility of interviewing PO<br />
Tim Allen and (inset)<br />
Jon Bumphrey<br />
personnel on matters of concern to<br />
postmasters and to finding answers to<br />
members’ letters. The level of<br />
renumeration that is paid to<br />
postmasters genuinely shocked me<br />
when I took on the job.<br />
“Whilst I have no expectation of major<br />
change anytime soon, I do believe we<br />
have passed the rock-bottom point and<br />
the trajectory for those who can hang in<br />
there is a better one. If I can play the<br />
smallest part in helping to change the<br />
way we are seen by Government, that<br />
would be truly worthwhile.”<br />
This magazine is Jon Follenfant’s last<br />
MEETING WITH<br />
<strong>THE</strong> DBT<br />
The NFSP met with the<br />
Department for Business and Trade<br />
(DBT) in April.<br />
The NFSP thanked the Postal<br />
Affairs Minister Kevin Hollinrake and<br />
the DBT for their work on<br />
compensation for victims of the<br />
Horizon scandal.<br />
Fake stamps were discussed<br />
and how postmasters are worried<br />
these are getting through.<br />
It was good to hear the Minister<br />
challenging Royal Mail (RM).<br />
The price of stamps and the<br />
Ofcom review: NFSP discussed<br />
concerns over Ofcom’s call for input<br />
and the lack of full stakeholder<br />
engagement, plus the lack of<br />
financial scrutiny of RM.<br />
Remuneration update: NFSP<br />
reiterated the increase needs to be<br />
greater to keep up with the cost of<br />
running a post office.<br />
as Members’ Editor after nine years in<br />
the role.<br />
NFSP CEO Calum Greenhow said: “I<br />
would like to thank Jon for all his hard<br />
work and for providing so much insight<br />
to members. I wish him all the best in<br />
his retirement.<br />
“We now very much look forward to<br />
working with both Tim and Jon.”<br />
Oversight Committee reply<br />
The NFSP received a reply from Postal Affairs Minister Kevin Hollinrake in<br />
April to our letter regarding the governance of Post Office Ltd (PO) and NFSP<br />
proposals for the establishment of an Oversight Committee to scrutinise<br />
decision making by PO.<br />
Minister Hollinrake says he looks forward to receiving a more detailed outline<br />
of the NFSP’s Oversight Committee proposal to give it full consideration.<br />
8 The SubPostmaster June 2024