Gerald Jones MP is showing his support for local Post Offices across Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney after attending a Parliamentary event in Westminster to find out how local branches are providing vital services to the community.
The event, held at the House of Commons on Wednesday 18th October, showcased Post Office products and services to MPs from across the country, particularly highlighting the access that branches provide to banking services and household bill payments.
Bank branch closures can have a real impact on a community, so Post Office branches – including those in Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney – have an important role to play in offering both personal and business everyday banking services to communities. This means that millions of individuals and small businesses can withdraw and deposit cash, pay in cheques, and check their balance. And of particular use to small businesses is Drop & Go at Post Offices, a pre-paid mail service which makes it speedier for small business customers to drop off their online orders, products and samples and post them to their customers across the UK and around the world.
At the event, Gerald Jones MP was presented with an award on behalf of the Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney constituency for having the most personal banking withdrawals across the rural Post Office network. Over the past year, the 23 Post Office branches in Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney have seen 241,000 pension and benefit payments, 310,000 cash withdrawals, 18,000 cash deposits and 300,000 bill payments.
Gerald Jones MP said:
“The event has proved really useful in highlighting just what an important role our Post Offices play; they are vital social hubs and are a lifeline for local communities.
“I was delighted to be presented with the award on behalf of the Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney constituency. People often tell me how much they value the essential services that Post Office branches provide, and this award certainly shows how important they are to our community.
“I am proud that our Post Offices continue to give access to important amenities people value close to their doorsteps and I will continue to do all I can to support them in serving our communities.”
Paula Vennells, Group Chief Executive of the Post Office said:
“It was great to meet Gerald Jones MP to talk about the range of services Post Office offers in the local community from everyday banking to bill payments and foreign currency. By continuing to invest in post offices and – most importantly – by putting our customers first, I am confident that local Post Offices will continue to play a vital role at the heart of local communities for generations to come.”
Along with finding out more about the services that Post Offices provide, Gerald Jones MP and the Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney constituency will also now compete against other MPs and constituencies around the country for the most number of transactions per branch – for a whole range of transaction types, including most cash withdrawals and most bill payments.
Gerald Jones MP is urging local people to get the most out of their local Post Office by using it to access their bank account, pay their bills and collect and return their online shopping.
This annual competition will highlight just how much communities rely on and use their local Post Offices, with the winning MP and constituency taking home a special trophy.