After 2 years of campaigning Hawksworth Wood Post Office finally re-opened its doors today, at its original site, and will be open 6 days a week!

Rachel attended the opening with Kirkstall councillors Bernard Atha, John Illingworth and Lucinda Yeadon and delighted local residents.

The Post Office was closed in August 2010, prompting a strong campaign from Rachel, local councillors and residents. A mobile Post Office van was secured in late 2011 to maintain services but Rachel vowed to continue campaigning until a permanent solution was found.

Rachel said,

'I am delighted that we now have a permanent Post Office back in Hawksworth Wood and I hope that residents will begin to use this service regularly again to ensure its continued existence'

Last night local residents attended a very successful public meeting, hosted by Rachel, to discuss the future of Post Office services to the Hawksworth Wood Estate. After over a year of campaigning alongside local residents and Kirkstall ward councillors, Rachel has secured Post Office services to the area in the form of a Mobile Post Office Unit. This is not the end of the campaign however, as she continues to work with the Post Office to find a permanent solution for the estate. Kirkstall Councillors Lucinda Yeadon and Bernard Atha, as well as Adrian Wales from the Post Office, were on the panel of speakers.

The meeting opened with loud cheers from local residents at the mention of the new Mobile Post Office Unit. Louder cheers soon followed when Adrian announced that he would hopefully be able to announce a permanent Post Office solution shortly.

There was an open forum where residents told the panel how things had gone in the first week of the Mobile Unit’s existence. Rachel, who had used the van earlier that day, said how “it is a great temporary solution, providing an essential accessible service for everybody, with a lift feature for disabled and elderly residents.” Workers at the Hawksworth Wood Community Centre said how they had ‘used the banking service everyday... it is fantastic!’ Some residents commented how at first they were unsure about the van, but once they tried it they realised how good it was. The next step of the Post Office campaign will be the announcement of a permanent service to the Hawksworth Wood Estate.

The Mobile Unit is located outside the Co-op, and is there Monday-Friday from 10am-3pm.

Today, the new Post Office Mobile Service made its first visit to the Hawksworth Wood Estate in Kirkstall. The Mobile Unit offers a full range of Post Office services, and early feedback from local residents has been positive. Diane Henderson, pictured here being served by Andy, said she was "delighted" with the new service!

Rachel Reeves MP, whose campaigning efforts have led to the new service, said:

"I'm still working alongside your local Labour Councillors to secure a permanent Post Office for the estate, but I hope you'll agree that the Mobile Unit is a big step in the right direction. Mobile Units are normally used for rural areas, and the Hawsworth Wood service is a pilot, so it's really important that as many local residents as possible give it a try and let us know what they think."

The Mobile Unit is located outside the Co-op, and is there Monday-Friday from 10am to 3pm.

There will be a public meeting to discuss the Post Office situation and the new Mobile Unit on Friday 2nd December at 5pm in St Mary's Church Hall. All local residents are welcome.

After over a year of campaigning alongside local residents and Kirkstall ward councillors, Rachel has announced that Post Office services will finally be returning to the Hawksworth Wood Estate, in the shape of a Mobile Post Office Unit!

Whilst Rachel continues to work with the Post Office to find a permanent solution for the estate, the mobile unit will visit for a minimum of 4 hours per day, every weekday, and will offer a full range of Post Office services. The unit is fully accessible for residents with disabilities, and will begin to visit from the end of November, and will be located by the Co-op store. Normally reserved for rural areas, the Hawksworth Wood visits will be a pilot for the Post Office Mobile.

Rachel said:

“This isn’t the end of the campaign. I am pleased that there won’t be another Christmas without Post Office services on Hawksworth Wood, but it has taken too long to resolve this. I’ve received hundreds of signatures on my petition, written countless letters and met with representatives from the Post Office regularly. I’m not going to stop campaigning until we have a permanent Post Office back, but in the meantime I hope everyone will come along and give the Mobile Unit a try.”

Residents will be able to make their voices heard at a Public Meeting, to be held on Friday 2nd December at 5pm in St Mary’s Church, where Rachel will be joined by representatives from the Post Office.

The meeting was postponed from earlier in November to give residents the opportunity to try the new service.

Rachel spent Saturday with a team of members and supporters in Kirkstall. They were speaking to residents in Hawksworth Wood, and spreading the word about the campaign to restore post office services on the estate.

Rachel is working hard to make sure that the post office resumes services on the estate. The campaign has attracted hundreds of supporters. Rachel said:

"It is vital that the Post Office provide a dedicated service for Hawksworth Wood. I'm pressing them hard to do so - and will not stop until we have a Post Office that is readily available for everyone on the estate."

Rachel was joined by local Councillor John Illingworth, who said: "The people of Hawksworth Wood need a Post Office. The closest one is up Butcher Hill or a bus ride away - out of easy reach for many local residents. I am working hard as part of the local Labour team to ensure that the Post Office resolves this issue."