David Rees AM welcomes local Post Office Grant from the Welsh Government.

Today it has been announced by the Welsh Government that Briton Ferry Post Office will receive a £20,000 grant from the post office development fund.

Capital grants totalling almost £170,000 are being given to post offices across Wales by Communities and Tackling Poverty Minister Jeff Cuthbert, to support the vital role they play in local communities.

The grants are from the Welsh Government’s Post Office Diversification Fund (PODF) which helps local post offices expand their businesses and provide new services for the community. In its application, each post office had to show it had consulted on the needs and wishes of its community and how it plans to diversify services.

Announcing the grants, the Minister said:
“The Welsh Government is committed to taking action to improve local communities and economies. These grants illustrate our support of Wales’ post office network.

“Post offices provide a range of services to villages, towns and neighbourhoods. The closure of one can impact on a community, have a negative effect on other near-by businesses and result in local people suffering social or financial exclusion.

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

David Rees AM said, “Our post offices are often the pillars of our communities and we need to ensure that we keep these services within our communities. The post office diversification Grant shows how the Welsh Labour Government is taking practical action to deliver better services and opportunities for communities across Wales”.

I am delighted that Briton Ferry Post office has been successful in securing this grant to improve the services which it provides for the surrounding community.”

This is the third round of Post Office Diversification funding to be announced since the scheme was revised in 2011. Applications for the fourth and final round of PODF grants must be received Friday 29 November. Successful applicants will be announced in the spring.

There are three categories of grant which make up the fund: 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.