We are making a plea to all residents and businesses in Porthleven to DONATE, as well as lovers of Porthleven who enjoy holidaying here, and maybe even those who have left Porthleven to live far afield, maybe overseas, whose hearts still remain in this beautiful corner of Cornwall.

Paul and Sharon Edwards’ wish was always to run a Post Office. In 2008 they realised their dream when they purchased Porthleven Post Office in Cornwall and Paul became the Sub-Postmaster. This became their business and home. Over the next few years the business grew successfully until the Postmaster’s wage, funded by Post Offices Ltd, was replaced by an unreasonable commission payment which effectively sent the Post Office business into a downward spiral.

Donate and save the much needed services of our Post Office. Without YOUR SUPPORT village life will be damaged, affecting us all but more especially the most vulnerable in our Community.

Paul and Sharon did everything they could to keep the local people employed and often went without taking anything for themselves from the business. Having used all their personal reserves including their pension fund they found it heart breaking to inform the public of their plight.

At a public meeting on the 1st of September they were overwhelmed by the local support of more than 200 residents from which a small Working Group was formed to assist them – The Porthleven Community Support Group.

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Paul Edwards addresses the meeting

Our Post Office is in imminent danger of closure

Closure will have dire consequences for all in the Porthleven Community.

• Elderly residents, who are unable to use Internet Banking or ATM, would now lose the facility to draw their pensions and check how much remains in their accounts and generally chat about their needs and lose the meeting point where their friends congregate.

• All the Community would lose the facility of the free ATM (ATMs maybe closed by 2020) or the ability to draw cash across the counter. (The Post Office gets paid if you draw money from the Counter rather than the ATM).

• All the Community would lose the facility of Banking; depositing money or cheques or drawing cash from their accounts.

• Local shop keepers and businesses would lose the facility of banking money or drawing change for the day’s transactions. This would be a grave loss as nearly all the Banks in Helston are now closed, the nearest banking facility is at Penzance some 12 miles distant.

• All the Community would lose the facility of paying for electric and mobile phones, or payment of TV licenses, Car Tax, general bills, depositing savings or drawing from their accounts (The Post Office gets paid if you draw money from the Counter rather than the ATM).

• All parcels would require to be taken to the nearest Post Office at Helston some 2 miles distant where there are already substantial queues daily.

As a result of the pending closure of the Post Office, the Post Office Community Working Group has been established and are utilising Crowd Funding and gathered donations as a methodology to reach a £30,000 target to save this community service.

Statements by Age Concern Members collated by Mandy Smith – Secretary Porthleven Age Concern.

Let’s not just let our Post Office close by doing nothing.

All the Community would be adversely effected with the loss of the Post Office which is accepted as a general marker of a Sustainable Community. You will be aware that Derek Thomas MP is joining the campaign and by now all residents of Porthleven will be in receipt of a communication from him also.

As a result of the pending closure of the Post Office, the Porthleven Community Support Group has been established and are utilizing Crowdfunding gathered donations as a methodology to reach a £30,000 target to save this Community Service. This target is quite achievable. The population of Porthleven is 3182 and such averages to a donation of £9.43 per head – less than the cost of one packet of cigarettes you would buy from the P.O. Stores. If all residents contribute this amount, this small donation will retain the services provided by the Post Office for our Community.

Paul Edwards at The Post Office Counter

This funding is a one-off event and will balance the books, pay for much needed signage, leaflet print, market research, a business plan for a sustainable business and the much needed re- branding of the Post Office Store. All the groundwork is being covered to enable the Post Office to be left with a sustainable Store business which will support the Post Office operations as it cannot survive on transactional events alone. Many of the skills being undertaken are provided by the Porthleven Community Support Group members (which includes campaign writing and direction, photography, design, the build of the Crowd-funding site plus Facebook and Twitter accounts and Porthleven Post Office Stores website, media releases, the keeping of transparent agendas and accounting for all donations received) and will be provided by us free of charge.

Once gone it is gone forever and with it the hub of our Community .

Please assist us to save our Post Office, the beating heart of the village by making a donation, big or small, it all mounts up.

Paul and Sharon Edwards outside their Post Office Store in Fore Street.

We are doing all we can to facilitate saving our Post Office, but now it is up to you, Porthleven Community and friends whether you decide to support our efforts and save the Post Office or lose it forever.

Please note that for every £10 donation we will receive £11.32 if you qualify for Gift Aid

We thank you for your donation