VIDEO: Horsham MP Francis Maude officially opens new Roffey Post Office

Roffey Post Office has relocated to Brand News newsagents in Fitzalan Road from two premises along, and has been open since late May.

Representatives from the parish and district council along with members of the community and regular customers packed out the newsagent to celebrate its official opening on Friday.

Mr Maude, also Government minister for the Cabinet Office, said: “What’s great about this is it’s a refurbished post office providing a fantastic service for local residents with much longer hours and much more convenience.’’

He added: “We are hopeful the Post Office will continue to have a strong future.

“This is a small business, it’s vibrant and there has been investment and this is good for the economy and good for the local community.”

Subpostmistress Sharon Brand, owner of Brand News, said: “The post office really fits in well with my newsagents business.

“Customers used to visit both shops so we are already well-known by post office customers. I always did my business banking at Roffey Post Office.

“All the post office staff transferred over from the previous location, so there are lots of familiar faces.

“I have also taken on an additional couple of staff so there are three manned positions, whereas previously there were only two counters open, unless it was Christmas, then all three positions were open.

“This will allow customers to be served quicker.”

Mrs Brand, who has lived in Roffey for the last 25 years, used to work at the Royal Mail Gatwick Mail Centre, first as a Christmas casual worker, and then as a trainer of Christmas casual workers.

She has run Brand News for eight years and jumped at the chance to add a post office to her business.

Horsham district councillor Roy Cornell (Con, Roffey South) added: “The fact that we have maintained the post office is great for the area and great for the elderly residents so they do not have to go into town.”

He explained that Mike Barratt and his wife had run the Roffey Post Office as a successful business for many years, and it was generally known that the facility was very well used.

Martin Loates, a North Horsham parish councillor, said: “We have a lot of elderly people in the area who believe in getting their pension out so it’s a handy thing to have with post offices closing as we have just three left here.”