Post offices in churches and pubs

[jazzactivist]

I heard on the radio today that the government is negotiating with churches about the possibility of them running post offices and other public services within the building. There are already a number of rural post offices run this way, and also POs and shops in pubs. I think that this is a great idea in places where these services have been lost or are struggling to survive as, to me, churches and pubs were always intended to be places for the whole community to use for different purposes. I would, of course, prefer it if village POs and shops could be run by themselves and people were able to make a living from them, but in the absence of that... What do you think?

[Primrose]

Good!

I think I wrote about this somewhere before when I read that Joan Bakewell advocated it.

Churches - in the village where my Mum lives they had part of it quite cleverly changed (at the end where the bells are situated) to become the meeting room. As I do not attend all I can say I think the meeting room is avaliable for a wide number of options, however, I was able to see it when attending a funeral there. It did not change how the Church looked.

Our village C of E Church is used on fete day and it becomes the venue for the produce competition, artwork, flowers, handicraft, etc. Great use of space and a community feel.

Pubs - do they utilise the pub in Ireland?

[jazzactivist]

I recently read an article that a village near to where I live has a thriving community buyout programme. When the PO was forced to close the residents raised money and volunteers in the village to buy and run it, then did the same with the shop and the pub, and run them all in the same building. Now the community there is looking to get money together to build affordable houses for young people who can't afford to live there. This is amazing and it is only a tiny village too!

My OH is in the process of having conversations with the vicar in Grasmere who has offered the church as a literary venue. He showed OH a series of old hooks in the ceiling where many years ago a screen would have been hung to hide and protect the altar etc and then the rest of the church was used for the weekly market and all other community functions. He wants to bring this type of wide use back again. Churches are such beautiful buildings, whether old or new, and it seems a shame not to use them for everything going on. I'm sure that a shop and/or PO would be a welcome addition.

[Primrose]

Full marks to the village working together like that.

What an interesting idea in Grasmere.

I too love the Church buildings and would hate them to be turned into say Bingo halls.

The 'owners' of the 'building' should remain having the ultimate say in their management, however, if they were used for more 'extra' community activities maybe fund raising will encompass more contributors. These Churches are always trying to raise money e.g. roof repairs.

As I said the Church in my Mum's village had its changes made and it was very 'tastefully' carried out and that is maybe the key.