East Barkwith Postmaster receives New Year’s Honour recognition

• New Year’s Honour recognition for Postmaster David Ward
• David’s family has run East Barkwith Post Office & Village Shop for 47 years
• The Ward family has also run Donnington on Bain Village Shop for 50 years
• Parish councillor for 25 years
• Local and regional President for National Federation of Sub Postmasters

David Ward, Postmaster for East Barkwith Post Office & Village Shop has received New Year’s Honour recognition for providing services to his East Barkwith community in Lincolnshire.

The long-serving Postmaster will be presented with the British Empire Medal.

David’s family has also run Donnington on Bain Village Shop. His Mum, Jenny, has just reached the milestone of working there for 50 years. David was just two years old when his family moved from Goulceby to take on that shop.

His family also took on East Barkwith Post Office & Village Shop, 47 years ago. Aged five, he recalls helping with decorating. David has been the Postmaster for 30 years. His wife, Sally, also works there and they are both listening ears when the community are lonely or need advice.

Both shops are at the heart of their communities, and they remained fully open during the pandemic. David has been a Parish Councillor for 25 years.

David is President of the Lincoln and Grimsby National Federation of Sub Postmasters (NFSP) and he has also recently become the President of the NFSP’s North East Region. He also volunteers on the Post Office Postmaster Forum. David has had conversations with many top politicians about the important role Post Offices and village shops play in communities and how they could be supported, including recently campaigning for the Government’s Energy Bill Relief Scheme to be extended to Post Offices beyond March.

One year David did a big fundraiser for Baby Lives charity, raising £1,000 for his local hospital towards incubators. A year later his son needed this equipment when he was born. Through sales of the National Lottery at his Post Office he has also helped with many good causes.

When David won an independent retailer competition, he shared the prize of £750, between the school where he was a governor, the village hall and the local swimming pool.

Nick Read, Post Office Chief Executive, said:

“David is a pillar of the community for East Barkwith and Donnington on Bain and he really cares about the rural communities that he serves. He uses his extensive Postmaster and retail knowledge to help other Postmasters through the National Federation of Sub Postmasters and the Post Office Postmaster Forum. I am delighted that he’s been granted a British Empire Medal.”

David said: “I was surprised and very honoured to receive the British Empire Medal. When I received an email with the news, I wasn’t sure if it was genuine until I got a confirmation phone call a few weeks later.

“I kept both shops open throughout the pandemic as I knew that people were reliant on Post Office services and for buying groceries. With bank branches having closed people needed to do their banking with us too. We were extra busy. Turnover was two and a half times the normal rate. Customers really appreciated that we were open.

“A Post Office and village shop really is at the heart of a community. In East Barkwith we are the last shop. We often get people, who live alone, say that we are the only people that they have seen all week. As well as the services that we provide people come in for the social interaction, when they are upset or need advice. We are here for them.”

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