Post office surfs into high-tech world

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.matlockmercury.co.uk/news/Po ... 3788305.jp

A DALES post office will be surfing its way into the 21st Century when it adds email to its traditional mail duties.
Rowsley Post Office has won a £1,500 grant to set up a three-terminal internet cafe in branch, which it is hoped will be up and running by the end of March.

One of the partners of the Church Lane branch, Gary Shaw, said: "Post offices are having to adapt to stay viable.

"We see the internet as a tool to get people back into the post office. This will help local people who do not have internet access, as well as large numbers of walkers, campers and migrant workers.

"It will be a communication point where peop
le can relax and interact, check emails over a coffee, access online goods and services and make cheap calls to friends and family around the world."

He added that he hoped the internet cafe would become an access-point for jobseekers and farmers on Defra's agri-environment schemes.

The grant for the project came from the Peak District National Park Authority's Sustainable Development Fund, which aims to support rural communities in efforts to maintain vitality through local services.

The fund allocates £200,000 a year to local eco-friendly business and social projects.

Chair of the fund, Anne Ashe, said: "We aim to help sustain the long-term future of the Peak District.

"We are particularly keen to receive applications that combat climate-change or help people to cope with its impact, as well as supporting services and strengthening links between communities."