PO Award 2024 - Decade operating independent PO Local Services

Dryslwyn Community shop and Post Office is celebrating recognition of 10 years independent service as a Post Office Local. 

Taken over by the village in 2008 to save it from closure, as a volunteer-led and run enterprise it initially operated as a satellite of Llandeilo Post Office. Having demonstrated ability to run independently, it was allowed to launchservices in its own right. Since then as a Post Office Local it has gone from strength to strength, with this award representing an important landmark.

Running the community shop and Post Office involves over 40 regular volunteers who between them clock up over 7,000 hours providing goods and services on six days a week and offering a welcoming and friendly bilingual service in for all. Set on the edge of Cwrt Henri village, it serves a scattered rural community across an extensive area. It also hosts supported work placements and student work experience and collaborates widely with local organisations including Menter Dinefwr and Cwrt Henri primary school, as well as

collaborating with other community shops across Wales.

Michele Powell who is one of 13 volunteers who are the anchor crew routinely doing shifts on the Post Office counter, explained: “Our volunteers come from all walks of life so we’ve all had to learn the ins and outs of running the Post Office service which is a responsibility and can be quite complex. I knew next to nothing about running a Post Office before I started here. You really don’t know what your talents are until you dip your toe in the water and give it a go. But it’s been a great way to make friends, serve the community, and learn new skills.” As a long-serving volunteer Michele actively helps train new Post Office volunteers, she also serves on Wales regional council for the National Federation of sub post masters.

Presenting the 10-year Post Office Local Award Lynn Lewis, Post Office Regional Manager for South Wales and the West said: “We are delighted to recognise the success of Dryslwyn’s community enterprise and commend the important difference it makes to the rural economy, to individuals, and the many small businesses in its area.” Post Office Area Manager for West Wales Retail Network Ryan Leonard commented: “Dryslwyn continues to be a significant and inspiring asset in our rural area network. It ensures everyone has access to all our familiar counter postal services, as well as the wider facilities including banking, foreign exchange, pensions, and convenient routes to pay household bills”.

Nigel Jones another regular Post Office volunteer and first language Welsh speaker said: “Our aim is to provide support to the whole community and involve everyone to help us do that. It’s great when everyone lends a hand, and it creates a real social support hub too.” Nigel is also Chair of the SiopNEWydd new shop project team continuing Dryslwyn’s forward-looking ambitions. Reflecting on 10 years success he added: “We are genuinely proud of our community shop and Post Office, and everyone agrees it is providing vital resources for those in the area. We now have exciting plans for new premises with space to add new ventures all designed to increase the resilience and sustainability of the community. Today’s Post Office award shows what we can achieve in the future by working

together as a team.”

Just last month Dryslwyn Community shop and Post Office was invited to London as a UK finalist in the 2024 Rural Community Business ‘Investing in Local People’ awards hosted by Plunkett UK. In 2021 it won Carmarthenshire’s first ever Queens Award for Volunteering.

Receiving the award (L-R) are Dryslwyn Community Shop and Post Office Directors Nick Cater and Chris Plummer, volunteer Michele Powell, Post Office Regional Manager for South Wales and the West Lynn Lewis, with Post Office Area Manager for West Wales Retail Network Ryan Leonard, and Nigel Jones volunteer.

SiopNEWydd Grant Applications Update 10.12.2023

We know everyone will be keen to hear about the progress with our new shop ambition and because it has seemed quiet some might think that little is being done to reach our goal of building a new and exciting shop/PO/café with on site parking. 

Whilst outwardly quiet, in reality a great deal is going on, so this is a short update on where we stand in our endeavours at present.

1. It’s always good to start with some positive news so I am pleased to say we have been successful with our initial ‘Expression of Interest’ first round application to the Welsh Government ‘Community Fund Project’ (CFP) grant for £300,000.   Though this is great news and very encouraging it means we need to be successful at the more challenging Round Two stage as well. This needs  very much more complex information and detail to be submitted within a strict time limit (mid Feb).  That will then be re-assessed and must meet the required standards.   SO…we are on the way but don’t fully have this fish in the net yet.   

2. In the meantime we are preparing our next major bid which will be an Expression of Interest to The National Lottery (TNL).  This is also a two-stage process so the same principles will apply, with consecutive hurdles to get through. Please note that even after submission the assessment of these bids by the funder takes time!

3. In parallel we have been working on our Business Plan for the new shop with Lansker our consultants which was funded by our successful Perthyn Grant back in the summer.  This is a big piece of work that will form a foundation for our second stage applications to CFP & TNL bids mentioned above.

4. And we already have a plan of other smaller applications we will make once these big ones are further progressed.

I hope you find this update of interest and of hopefully of some reassurance.  Much work has been undertaken already and still needs to be done before we can get machines on the ground and lay the first slab! We believe we have a great story to tell and a future to project that should resonate with the grant funders! Time of course will tell!!

We will continue to update you as things go along, but in the meantime may I take this opportunity, on behalf of the project team,  to wish you and those near and dear to you the compliments of the season.