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A Caterham postmistress has been praised for her efforts to support the community with its essential need for access to cash and banking services. Postmistress Ying Shi has impressed the business manager of St Catherine’s Hospice in Caterham, Emma Glass with her work to ensure members of the community are being served.
Ying Shi, postmistress at Caterham Post Office, has experienced firsthand the importance of communities having access to cash, with small businesses and individuals relying on her post office each week for her banking services. Nearly half (43%) of Brits surveyed by the Post Office said they are reliant on their local post office to access cash and use the other banking services.
When banks started to close in her area, Ying was aware of the concerns held by her community. She proactively partnered with the closing banks to host events where local businesses and residents had the chance to learn more about how Caterham Post Office’s banking services could provide an alternative solution to local banks, in particular for access to cash.
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She also distributed 10,000 leaflets and introduced herself personally to spread the word about the Post Office banking services, and reassure her community that they would not be without access to cash.
Ying said: “The focus was particularly on reaching elderly and vulnerable customers, many of whom rely on cash, and do not use online banking. The leaflets informed them that they could manage their everyday banking needs at the Post Office, such as cash deposits, withdrawals, and balance checks. We also personally approached local businesses, letting them know they could deposit their daily takings with us.”
In terms of improving the banking services within the Post Office, Ying knew she had to accommodate the increased demand for banking services in Caterham. She implemented several key changes, including a note counter to ensure greater efficiency and accuracy, which significantly reduced waiting times for customers handling cash transactions.
She said: “By making these improvements, we have positioned the Post Office as a reliable and convenient alternative for both personal and business customers who have lost access to their local bank branches. Our focus on accessibility, inclusivity, and efficiency has made the transition easier for everyone in the community.”
Cash is incredibly important for the Caterham community, with over 300 small businesses operating in the area and just one bank left to support individual needs.
Emma Glass, who has been the shop manager at St Catherine’s Hospice charity shop in Caterham for 12 years, said: “As a business that relies heavily on cash, it was challenging when several bank branches started closing. We bank takings daily, and for safety reasons don’t hold large amounts of money on site, which means we have a certain amount in float and often need to replenish the change.
(Image: Royal Mail)
“The Post Office has made this so easy for us since our previous bank branch shut down, especially with it being open until 2pm in the day on Saturdays, it means we are never short of change or at a loss for a solution even on the weekends.”
Many customers of the charity shop rely on cash to be able to budget, and with a large number of elderly people in the area, access to cash is essential – whereby online banking is not as accessible or easy for some members of the community. To make this easier, Ying reassures all of her customers by building a personal relationship with them and ensuring that their needs are met quickly and efficiently.
Ying said: “I was recently stopped by an elderly gentleman in the supermarket who told me how much he appreciated receiving the leaflet and learning how the Post Office can help with banking services and gaining access to cash. Without it, he said he would have had to travel to a neighbouring town for an hour by public transport just to do his banking. Instead, he was relieved to find that he could handle his banking just at our branch, right on his doorstep.”
Emma Glass went on to say that without the Post Office, her business would also face challenges. However, with Ying’s help, Emma is able to periodically visit Caterham Post Office each day to complete her essential banking duties, whilst also having a friendly relationship with Ying.
Emma said: “Each time I’m at the Post Office I can see how important the services are to the whole community, it’s always buzzing and people are often coming and going. Ying is always friendly and helpful, and able to help, from businesses like mine, to elderly people relying on cash, having Ying and the Post Office helps to alleviate the pressure with little to no other options locally.”
New regulations from the Financial Conduct Authority mean banks and building societies will need to evaluate if local communities lack access to cash services, such as branches and ATMs, and plug notable gaps to ensure access to cash is protected for individuals and businesses. New research from the Post Office reveals that cash remains vital to communities.
Nearly two thirds (64%) of Brits and over two thirds (69%) of local business owners/workers say that cash is essential to them, with half of respondents saying they use cash at least weekly. With the ongoing closures of bank branches and ATMs, nearly half (43%) of people surveyed revealed that they are reliant on their local post office to access cash and use the other banking services
Post Office has seen significant growth in demand for its cash banking services, indicating cash is as strong as ever as people rely on it to budget, and businesses rely on it to survive a volatile trading environment. Branches handled a record £3.77bn in cash deposits and withdrawals in July – marking the first time that cash transactions exceeded £3.7bn in a single month, beating the previous record high set in May 2024 by £200 million.
Since 2020, the value of business and personal cash transactions has risen every year. Despite the rise of digital payments and banking, over three quarters of people believe that cash is essential in their community, with 83% saying they would support efforts to protect access to cash. However, over half (51%) note that they feel powerless when it comes to protecting it.
The FCA regulations will now provide local residents, community organisations and representative groups more time to request an assessment of whether there are significant gaps in local cash access – giving people the opportunity to protect a vital service in their community.
Ross Borkett, Banking Director at Post Office, said: “Ever since we started offering banking services in our branches, we have worked closely with high street banks and building societies to provide banking services and access to cash in communities across the UK, ensuring that no one who relies on cash is left behind. We also work in collaboration with Cash Access UK and the banks to operate Banking Hubs, and we’re delighted to see the recent announcement from HMT and the banks confirming the commitment to 350 hubs and look forward to supporting the roll out of these critical services.
“Millions of people continue to use our branches every week as they are convenient places to bank, and our postmasters keep their branches open with long hours and provide friendly and knowledgeable services to support this. This is all the more important as the FCA Access to Cash regulations continue to be reviewed, with new rules being implemented today.”
Local Post Office branches play a huge role in providing individuals and businesses easy access to everyday banking, including the ability to withdraw and deposit cash, deposit cheques, and check accounts over the counter. Anyone can access their personal or business bank account at any of the 11,500 Post Office branches across the UK.
Post Office provides the biggest network of everyday banking services across the country, enabling people in communities across the country to access all major high street banks and building society accounts in branch. Visit Post Office’s branch finder here to learn where your closest branch is to access its banking services.
