Clapham residents urge Post Office not to close Clapham “community hub”

Postal, Post Office (PO) January 16 2024

Local people and Post Office workers urged management in Clapham not to close down “the hub of this local community” in a protest.

Scores of supporters of the Save Clapham Common Post Office campaign gathered outside of the threatened office on Clapham High Street last Saturday (13^th January).

Joining CWU members were members of the Womens Institute, Clapham Labour Party, as well as trade unionists from other unions, local councillors and members of parliament.

This included Labour MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy, who told CWU News: “The closure of this Post Office would be a massive blow to the local community – it’s clear by the sheer number of people at today’s event, and the thousands who have already signed the petition.

“Everybody walking past is completely outraged that the Post Office are even considering this decision, especially considering what has been happening with the Horizon scandal.

“So many Post Offices are closing – these are key aspects of our community, and if needs be the government must intervene to make sure ones like this aren’t shut down.”

Members of the public discovering the event joined in large numbers, swelling the throng to around 100 at the protest’ s height.

Local resident Glenda Thomas, who was passing by and stopped to sign the petition, told CWU News: “These people have been through the wars at the moment, me and my husband watched [Mr Bates Vs the Post Office] just like everyone else, it seems.

“I just felt awful for them, and after all they’ve been through, it looks like they’re getting the chop here.”

Her husband Harry added: “We’d be lost without them, I certainly know that, and I know I’m not just speaking for myself either, so I really do hope the plans are reconsidered. I think the decision baffling, to be honest.”

CWU Postal Executive member Mole Meade, who was crucial to organising the event, said: “This Post Office is the hub of this local community.

“Without it, the high street would continue on the road to collapse, just as we have seen across the country.

“The government keep up their rhetoric of regenerating high streets and British businesses, but they seem to stand by and watch as the Post Office puts the nail in the coffin of community anchors like these.

“We can’t let this Post Office go.”

Thousands of people have already signed a petition to stop the closure on online petitioning sites and in person, which can be signed here.