WILSDEN Community Post Office has been spruced up with a £7,500 lottery grant.

Volunteers running the facility in Main Street this month spent cash from the National Lottery Community Fund re-fitting the shop area.

Wilsden Parish Council chairman Peter Allison, one of the volunteers, said this was the first major improvement work since the post office reopened in January 2017.

He said: “This grant has allowed us to refresh the whole area with new flooring, and new displays for our main products areas including a fridge and freezer for cold drinks and ice cream.

“In planning the work we have been very fortunate to receive expert advice and support from suppliers such as Bartuf, who have provided the display shelving.”

Cllr Allison said there had been positive feedback from all customers, and the hope was that even more people would be encouraged to use the business.

He said: “This will we continue to grow towards the long-term sustainability that will allow us to direct our profits to support other community enterprises in Wilsden.

Cllr Allison said that when the post office reopened in January 2017 under community management, the main focus had been on converting the premises so it could operate separately from the adjoining house.

As a result there was very little money left to refit the shop.

Cllr Allison added: “From the start we have been clear that our primary aim has been to maintain Post Office facilities in the village, and we recognise that the revenue from the post office alone is not sufficient to sustain the business in the long term.

“The post office continues to grow and is well ahead of forecast, and all the signs for 2019 are positive However we need to achieve better growth in other areas in addition to the post office.

“Sales of newspapers, magazines, confectionery, greeting cards and stationery continue to grow but we have always recognised that the way we have displayed them was not ideal.

“It was always our intention to try and obtain grant funding to allow us to refit the shop area with displays that were more suitable for the products we are selling.”

The Post Office had been housed in 112 Main Street for more than 80 years until its closure a few years ago.

The efforts of the team of residents led to the building reopening as Wilsden Community Post Office on January 26, 2017.

The venture was set up as a community company with more than 100 members, managed by three volunteer directors – Jenny Lightowler, Trevor Dufton and Cllr Allison – and postmaster Bryan Crosby.

In January last year the volunteers held a public first birthday party with cakes and sweets, and reduced prices on hot drinks.

The volunteers help man the shop at busy times of the day, in addition to the two experienced post office staff employed by the community company.

At the time Cllr Allison said: “As well as being a commercial business it is important that the Community Post Office is a hub for the village community and the shop layout is designed to facilitate this.

“It has been pleasing that a large number of small local businesses have found Wilsden Post Office has improved their effectiveness.”