A VILLAGE post office could be forced to reduce its opening hours, or even potentially close, unless more volunteers came forward to help run it.
Gainford almost lost the service late last year but it was given a new lease on life when resident Diane Crossley took over.
The branch was moved to a former nursery school building on the main street and extended to include a retail section and cafe facilities.
However, these have yet to take off.
Compounding the problem is that Mrs Crossley cannot advertise the cafe or the retail side of the post office because it is run from a building owned by St Osmund’s Church.
Because of the post office’s low classification, Mrs Crossley is not paid a wage as other postmasters are but instead gets a small commission on transactions.
She said: “It is a dying trade, it really is. There will come a time when if you want to send a parcel there will be a machine to do it all.”
“I was having to consider closing, or think of other ways to generate income to enable the post office to stay open.
“Since then I have had informal meetings with various people and have decided to try my best to continue until June or July next year when it will be a critical time for me financially.”
She added that she would have to get a full-time job to continue but would need more volunteers fill in for her.
Currently the post office has two volunteers, one of whom is still gaining confidence to be able to run the service on her own.
Mrs Crossley said: “It needs to be villagers who are keeping the post office going. If anything, it may only be open on the days that the post office in Piercebridge is not open.
“To me it is all about a service to the people I live with because I live here as well.”
Mrs Crossley is hoping to attract activity groups to use it as a meeting place.
Already a crochet and coffee group has started gathering there on a monthly basis. Events are also planned.
On Friday, September 27, the venue will play host to a Macmillan coffee morning and a craft workshop is planned for Saturday, October 19.
The Curiosity Contrary workshop will teach people how to make items for halloween, such as witch hats, and Christmas presents.
Any groups interested in meeting at the venue and people who would like to volunteer can contact Mrs Crossley at the post office, or
email her at [email protected].
