Saturday - Post Office rally

Campaigners from across East and West Sussex, Kent, Surrey and part of Hampshire will gather outside the village Post Office to present a united front as the future of the network is debated by the Government.

The rally will be one of 13 taking place across the UK to mark National Post Office Week.

Organised by the Countryside Alliance, in partnership with several agencies, it will include representatives from Help The Aged, the Communication Workers Union and the RNIB, under the umbrella group Future For Our Post Office.

John Mainwood, who jointly runs Sedlescombe Village Stores and Post Office with wife Jennie, said: "It's to raise awareness that we are in consultation with the government on the future of the Post Office network.

"This is not just a localised thing - they have organised 13 of these across the country.

"Hopefully we will get people coming here from all over the south east.

"It's getting quite a lot of interest in the village here, but that's just part of it."

He added: "We are in this consultation period until Thursday, March 8, then the Government is going to announce what it's plans are.

"This rally is to let the Government know the strength of feeling, especially in the countryside. We need to make sure there's a network maintained to benefit as many people as possible."

Bexhill and Battle MP Greg Barker will address the rally.

National Post Office Week included a mass rally and lobby of Parliament on Tuesday.

The week aims to highlight the current Government consultation on the future of the Post Office network and encourage people to fight for their own local service.

Michelle Nudds, south east Countryside Alliance regional director, said: "The government has missed the point on Post Offices and we are urging them to realise the huge social benefit they provide.

"Current government plans propose closing 2,500 sub-Post Offices on the grounds they are 'not financially viable.'

"The government has removed hundreds of millions of pounds of business from Post Offices in recent years, including the TV licences contract, so it is little wonder that viability is a problem.

"In addition, economic concerns are only part of the bigger picture.

"Post Offices provide the social heart of many communities and without them many thousands of people, including many elderly and disabled, would be increasingly isolated.

"Government must look at the bigger picture before deciding the fate of many of our local communities.

"East Sussex is sending government a clear message: we love our Post Offices, we love our countryside."

The rally will start at 10am outside Sedlescombe Post Office on Saturday.

Pictured: John Mainwood inside Sedlescombe Post Office (H03039)