Uppingham Community Saves Post Office

0:00It's March 28th. This is Lester News Today, powered by AI, I'm Cory with the story. A community group in Uppingham is just a few thousand pounds away from buying their local post office to keep it running. The 73-year-old postmaster, Robin Bromley, has run the place since 2009 but keeps delaying retirement because no one's stepping up to take over. He points to the Horizon IT scandal, where faulty software wrongly accused hundreds of postmasters of stealing, as the reason buyers are staying away. Meanwhile, the group, set up as a community-benefit society, has pulled in cash through supporter loans, shares starting at 100 pounds each, and an 18,000-pound grand from the town council. Folks say the post office is the heart of the town, handling parcel returns and dishing out cash to market traders, now that banks have closed nearby. Philip Warner, from the group, calls it a vital hub that keeps the high street alive with volunteers from all walks of life united to save it. If they hit the target, they'll buy the business from Bromley and apply to become the official

1:03postmaster, though that could take 6-12. Months with some checks to pass. The post office is on board, even offering to connect them with other community-run spots that host branches successfully. Right now, they're pushing hard to close that funding gap, and Bromley says he really doesn't want to shut the doors if no deal happens.