Shepton Beauchamp Post Office is a focal point not just for villagers in Shepton but in all the surrounding villages. It offers a great selection of products, alot of which you don't even find in far bigger supermarkets. It would be criminal to close such a friendly and important institution - what the royal mail would be agreeing to by taking this course of action would be nothing less than the death of rural communities - just the kind of communities the clinically minded city officials behind such a scheme will probably care nothing about, until, that is, their next year's weekend breaks.
LW

It wont be the same with out the post office, everyone will miss it especially the older generation.

A.

As someone whose parents used to run this Post Office, I understand how essential that SB Post office must be retained as part of the village community. I agree wholeheartedly agree with all the euphemisms that have been used by the other contributors that have posted responses on this petition. The Post Office in any village is the hub of the community as it provides many services as well as that of the post office. CG

The Shepton Beauchamp Post Office & Stores is the centre of the village, it contributes enormously to the quality of life in the village and the Parish. The government are short-sighted in not recognising this aspect of Post Offices in rural communities. Imagine the impact on village life if it disappeared:

- We would be forced to drive 8-10 miles each time we needed to post a letter or parcel, pay a bill, get some cash, buy a pint of milk…

- Local village and Parish-based businesses would suffer from the lack of a central facility.

- Local bakeries, dairies, and other suppliers would lose vital income causing a knock-on effect regionally

- Our elderly residents would have to rely on transport and travel for day to day necessities. Quality of life would drop, many residents would become isolated, which would have a knock-on effect in the wider community, on health, social services and so on.

- The Post Office & Stores is the hub of the local community and makes Shepton Beauchamp a unique, special place to reside, attracting a wide range of people into the area.

The Post Office & Stores is central to quality of life here. It is one of the main reasons for living here!

Everyone benefits from the existence of this facility, even the Government, if only they would recognise its beneficial effects on society's wellbeing, health and quality of life. Where people feel part of a community, there are fewer health problems so less strain on health and social services.

Many people have also recognised the impact of our carbon footprint should this facility not exist - imagine everyone in the village driving an extra 8-10 miles several days a week.

We need this facility!

LS

The Post office and stores at Shepton are very important and is classed as OUR Post Office and Stores. A couple of years ago the store was extended (very unusual in a village shop). Most of the local residents use this post office and stores at least two of three times a week, to collect their pensions and pay their bills, not forgetting the fresh bread we get each day. The children call each day to pick up their penny sweets when they are on their way home from school. It would be tragic for the village if the post office/store should be closed. If we had to go to Ilminster for our post office, we would have to drive and queue, (if you could find a parking place)therefore using petrol (think of global warming).

NH

I feel it is essential that we keep Shepton Beauchamp Post Office for a number of reasons. Apart from the difficulty that people with no transport or limited mobility would have to access Post Office services in such a rural area, SB Post Office fulfils many other functions in the community and the Post Office counter is the cornerstone that binds it all together.

We have, in SB, a large proportion of retired people and a community of elderly people living in Buttle Close; for these people, getting on a bus to a neighbouring village or town can be quite an effort and outreach services are so limited in time and scope that they do not represent a realistic alternative.

Without the business that the Post Office brings in, the only general store in SB, which also serves Barrington and other nearby hamlets, the footfall and level of business would noticeably diminish in the shop where the Post Office is located. Longer term, this is likely to result in closure of the general store leaving the village with no services of this nature.

SB is a vibrant community, with many events and social networking opportunities, and these are all based around the Post Office and shop, who advertise, recruit, fund-raise and any number of other things. If the Post Office were to close, it would b the beginning of the end of this social hub for the local community.

Another service that the Postmistress and shopkeeper perform is to provide a watchful eye over the older residents, ensuring that if they are not seen for a time, they will be looked in on. Who would perform these kindnesses if we lost the post Office and shop?

SB Post Office is at the very heart of the Shepton Beauchamp community and the village would be considerably diminished were we to lose it. I would like to object strongly to the possibility of closure.

ST

As I live and work in Shepton I use the post office or the shop on a daily occurrence. I pay my bills get my stamps and pick up items from the shop I need. The Post Office is a one of focal points of the village and it is rare to go in to see nobody at the post office counter or in the shop. Without the post office the village would suffer.

DC

I am lucky enough to live in the village of Shepton Beauchamp. I am also fortunately enough to be mobile and can therefore, travel to Ilminster and join the ever lengthening queues to have my postal requirements processed by an already overstretched yet albeit functional Post Office. It would be a crime to have the heart ripped out of one of our national institutions by closing OUR sub-Post Office here in Shepton Beauchamp.

I understood that the Governments Objectives for the Modern Post Office was to improve postal services for business and domestic customers through greater choice, better quality and falling real prices. By closing our village Post Office, you are taking away our choice and degrading the quality of service we currently enjoy.

What happened to the Governments commitment to support a viable network of post offices? Is it the case that the Government no longer remains firmly committed to this ethos? The sub-Post Office plays a valuable role in our local community, particularly for the less mobile. It is important to note that our village enjoys a large cross section of the social spectrum from the young to old, active and infirm, domestic users and a surprisingly disproportionate number of small businesses for the size of community. All would suffer greatly with the closure of our sub-Post Office. It is also important to note that we do not have an adequate public transport system to transport the immobile to our local town or other outlying villages. OUR sub-Post Office is a necessity.

I fully understand that the Post Office cannot sustain a network if it is not sufficiently well used. Our village sub-Post Office is very well supported and deserves to continue to serve our community. The closure of our sub-Post Office would have a major and detrimental impact. I would urge you to allow OUR sub-Post Office to continue to provide an outstanding service.

DM

It would be a say day for the village, it is a meeting place where people can have a chat without it we would not have contact with each other from one week to another. Where would I get my pension from? I don't want to have to get the car out to go to the bank to get money. It would be a very sad sad day. What about the people who do not have cars. The shop is a godsend for the items we run out of, I can even take my clothes to be cleaned into the shop saving making a car journey and keeping pollution down.

MH

We need our Post Office because of the excellent facilities that it provides. It is the hub of our community, it is not a luxury but an essential. Like many rural villages we do not have the same facilities as Towns which in some cases have more than one dedicated Post Office, perhaps the hierarchy of the post office should live in a rural community without transport facilities and then see how they cope.

How can the Post Office expect a 97 year old to get their pension, buy stamps and pay bills if they have to travel to Petherton, Martock or Ilminster it is not a viable option, even if there was a reliable and efficient bus service passing through the village which there is not.

Our ‘carbon footprint’ which everyone seems to keeps banging on about will be greater if we have to drive to the nearest Post Office for a stamp, that is if we are able to drive, many senior members of the community do not have this luxury and rely on the Post Office and shop within walking distance to provide them with this service.

No Post Office no shop, so would I get my car out on a Sunday morning to buy a newspaper I think not, but I do walk up the road now to buy a paper, and a 97 year old walks each fine day to use the shop and Post Office facilities. I am sure the local doctor would agree that the walk will do me good.

SS

Ten years ago the village had a Post Office and shop. Since the arrival of Jo and Blue it has been developed into a village 'centre', providing all the services of the Post Office and a well stocked store, but much, much more.

In practical terms the shop is is the centre of the village and is easily accessed. It enables those less able to make independent visits, sing walking aids or even wheel chairs. Many of these people could not use public transport therefore would be deprived of personal shopping.

The closure of the Post Office would mean more than just travelling to another place. The store is the hub of our village. Blue and Jo are more than just shopkeepers. They provide a 'caring' service where people of all ages are provided with goods, welcome sensitive attention and advice.

It would be more than an inconvenience to lose them and their commitment; it would be a disaster for us all.

JK

I was really saddened to hear that we could be losing our centre point of this village. Not only is it a Post Office, Banking and a provider of all our necessities, it is the hub of what goes on in Shepton Beauchamp.

The children flock to get their sweets, and Blue is fabulous in teaching them how to purchase items in a friendly and helpful way. Blue and Jo give so much to the village and I cannot believe this can be allowed to happen.

It's about time that the powers that be in their ivory towers look at something more that making a profit and look at the quality of life that such a place gives and the independency it gives to a lot of people unable to travel. Let's not forget how little we have public transport here. There is always customers in the shop and we must all fight to keep this here for all our sakes.

AJ

Very important part of village life, and would be really hard to live without it.

SL