Grants recognise role Carmarthenshire post offices play in community

Five post offices in Carmarthenshire are receiving grants totalling more than £49,000 from Communities and Tackling Poverty Minister, Huw Lewis, to support the vital role they play (Weds 10th April).

Fforest post office is receiving £20,000 to install a new deli counter and seating area.

Pendine post office will receive £11,062 to install new entrance doors, widen aisles and install new flooring.

Llangadog post office receives £16,349 to upgrade light fittings, make energy, introduce new product lines and make efficient changes to its fridge.

Dryslwyn and Llanelli post offices are receiving £1,390 and £500 respectively to seek business advice.

The grants are from the Post Office Diversification Fund which helps local post offices expand their businesses and provide new services for the community. Each post office had to show how it had consulted on the needs and wishes of its community and how it plans to diversify its services.

Announcing these grants, the Minister said:

“The Welsh Government is committed to taking action to improve the things that affect us in our communities. These grants illustrate our continued support of Wales’ post office network.

“Post offices provide a range of services to local villages, towns and neighbourhoods. The closure of one can threaten the fabric of an area, which can see communities suffer social or financial exclusion.

“I am delighted that through the Post Office Diversification fund we are able to provide practical support to the businessmen and women running our post offices.”

Across Wales, grants totalling almost £400,000 are being given to post offices by Communities and Tackling Poverty Minister, Huw Lewis, to support the vital role they play in local communities.

Thirty nine post offices are receiving a total of £393,855 in order to sustain and improve the services they provide.

Grants have been provided in Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Cardiff, Carmarthenshire, Conwy, Gwynedd, Merthyr Tydfil, Monmouthshire, Newport, Powys, RCT, Swansea, Torfaen and Wrexham.

This is the second round of Post Office Diversification funding to be announced since the scheme was revised in 20111.

There are three categories of grant which comprise the PODF; capital grants of up to £5,000; capital grants of between £5,001 and £20,000; and revenue grants of up to £500 for business advice.