Post office gets rent holiday (From Daily Echo)

Post office gets rent holiday

2:45pm Thursday 4th February 2010 in

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A STRUGGLING community post office has received a welcome boost from the parish council.

Sparsholt Post Office and Stores, which is run mainly by volunteers, has been given a one-year rent holiday to help keep it going.

The store, which was only saved from closure a year ago, had asked Sparsholt Parish Council for a two-year break.

But Janice Whittle, the authority’s clerk, said that money was tight and councillors could only grant a 12-month reprieve, with a review pencilled in for next year.

The parish council had already invested £1,000 in 2008 to see whether it was viable for the community to takeover the shop.

A not-for-profit association was then set up to run the store. Grants and a share issue among villagers raised the necessary finance.