New Opening Hours For Our Community Office

The official opening hours for our community office have, for a long time, been 10am till 4pm, Monday to Thursday, except for adult community learning classes or meetings arranged by prior appointment, which sometimes start at 9.30.

However, for most of last year we have managed to open on Fridays as well. From 3 September 2012 we will be reverting to opening Monday to Thursday only. This is because of cuts to our funding.

The post office is unaffected and will still open at 9am Monday to Saturday, closing at 12.30pm on Saturdays and at 5.30pm on weekdays.

Darnall Community Pride

Volunteers working for the Darnall Community Pride project have engaged with 295 people at six venues (including the post office twice) to find out their views and help them take action to improve our neighbourhood: 106 people at the information day, 92 at the post office and 66 at the Staniforth Neighbourhood Centre and smaller numbers elsewhere. The project also produced posters, leaflets and banners, and volunteers are going to attend two school assemblies.

Information & Family Fun Day A Success

Visitors were determined to enjoy themselves at our Information and Family Fun Event despite the unsettled weather

Despite a slow start and heavy showers about 4,000 people attended our Information and Family Fun Day in High Hazels Park this afternoon. The rain prevented the children's rides from putting in an appearance, but nothing could stop the music! The weather certainly didn't dampen the enthusiasm of the young people who crowded round the stage to see Bhangra stars Mumzy, Junaid Kaiden, Tasha Tah and Roach Killa. There was also lots of information to be had.  The event was funded by Awards For All, British Land and the Darnall Area Trust Fund.

Information & Family Fun Day

Darnall Post Office Wins Best Agency Branch Award for 2012

Darnall Post Office, which is run by Darnall Forum, has won a prestigious sales award from the Post Office Network. Darnall Post Office was declared the winner for 2012 in the Best Agency Branch category at an award ceremony held at the prestigious Hilton Hotel in London's Park Lane.

Subpostmaster Neil Bishop cutting a congratulations cake outside Darnall Post Office while post office manager Gillian Jackson holds the cake and chair of Darnall Forum Sylvia Hamilton looks on.

The post office in Darnall only reopened in August 2010, with financial help from local councillors and the Key Fund Yorkshire. The post office in Darnall had been closed for almost a year prior to this before it reopened.

Neil Bishop, the subpostmaster for Darnall Post Office, said: 'We're delighted to have won this major award. It's a recognition of the tremendous work done by our staff and the warm welcome they give to our customers.'

Manager Gillian Jackson, who attended the award ceremony with her colleague Donna Coleman, said: 'It was really exciting. We were shaking when we went up to collect the award.'

Chair of the Forum Sylvia Hamilton said, 'We still need more local people to come and make use of our award winning services if we're to ensure that there is always going to be a post office in Darnall. At least customers are assured of a really high standard of service.'

Darnall Post Office Nominated for Prestigious Award

Darnall Post Office, which we reopened in October 2010  with help from the City Council and The Key Fund, has been nominated for a prestigious sales award by Post Office Ltd, which runs the national post office network.

'The nomination is for increasing sales of post office products in a "small post office". A "small post office" means a post office in a suburb or village, rather than a main post office in a town or city centre.

Neil Bishop, the chief executive of Darnall Forum, said: 'This is a great tribute to our staff, who work very hard and have a reputation for being friendly and helpful to our customers.'

The award ceremony will take place at the Hilton Hotel on Park lane in London on Saturday 16 June. Post office manager Gillian Jackson, who will be representing Darnall Post Office at the awards, said: 'I'm really look forward to it! There's going to be a champagne reception and a banquet, and - of course - there's always a chance that we might find we've won the award.'

Neil said: 'We want to thank our customers for their support. Without them we wouldn't be in the running for the award. We like to provide a warm welcome for all  our customers whatever their requirements - whether it's buying telephone top-ups and paying bills or getting cash out of their account, or posting lots of parcels and small passports, or using passport check and send, or buying travel insurance and foreign currency, or sending priority mail and buying stamps, or opening a new savings account or buying Premium Bonds, we're always here to help.'

ENDS

Public Meeting about the new Health Centre in Darnall

at

Staniforth Neighbourhood Centre

(on Staniforth Road, diagonally opposite the Bangla Bazaaar, on the corner of Ouseburn Croft)

5.15pm arrival for a 5.30pm start

on Tuesday 15^th May 2012

Ian Atkinson from the Primary Care Trust and

Neil Charlesworth from Community 1^st (the contractors) will be available to answer your questions about the new health centre. 

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to get an update on the project, find out what services will be delivered and share your views about the future of the new health.

Things to consider:

1. What services would you like to see on offer?
2. What healthy lifestyle activities could run from the centre?
3. How can the centre become a focal point for family health in Darnall?
4. When will the building be open to the public?
5. How can the community have a say in the running and delivery of the centre?
6. What will be available for young people / families / older people / BME communities?
7. How will the centre ensure it responds to the health needs of the community?

Light refreshments on arrival. We look forward to seeing you there.

Lucy & Neil

Lucy Melleney

Development Manager, Darnall Well Being

Neil Bishop

Manager, Darnall Forum