For several years the Post Office and Village Store has been a loss-making venture supported by Community Action Isle of Wight. However, through the efforts of the staff and also more people shopping locally during lockdown, the financial situation has improved.
However, Community Action rightly felt that it could not see a way forward and sought local support for the establishment. Following a number of meetings, Godshill Parish Council agreed that it would underwrite a third of any losses up to maximum contribution of £5,000 over the coming year in order that the business stayed open.
Unfortunately, a number of people in the village prefer to use the post office facilities at Rookley simply because there is better parking (do they realise the additional petrol cost in getting to Rookley and back?). However, the future of the Rookley Post Office is uncertain as it has appeared on the Post Office’s own website requesting applications for a brand new post office in Rookley – https://runapostoffice.co.uk/branch/rookley-post-office-ventnor-po38-3ng.
If we are going to keep this important facility in the village we all need to do a bit more to support it. If you haven’t popped in there recently, make a point of doing so, you might be quite surprised!