Courier March 2012 - myroyalmail

the royal mail newsPAPER MARCH 2012
unsung heroes
Nominate now for chairman’s awards – page 15
leading the fight
Work to tackle dangerous dogs issue – page 8
delivering
for our customers

2 March 2012 courier@abcomm.co.uk
Moya
My View
OUR future success depends on our
ability to modernise our business and
deliver what customers want.
Independent research from Ipsos MORI
shows that we have one of the strongest
corporate images in the UK. This is largely
due to the fact that the general public see
all of you as very helpful and trustworthy.
In this area, we consistently outperform
the vast majority of other leading brands.
There are five key areas, however,
where our customers are telling us we
need to do better. They are: misdeliveries,
redeliveries, proof of delivery, improper
use of ‘Something for you’ cards and not
carrying out redirections correctly.
This issue of Courier is dedicated to
highlighting what customers are saying,
where we need to improve and how we
are doing it.
Quality service has to be paid for
We have to raise our prices if we are to
meet the costs of maintaining the brilliant
Universal Service you currently provide.
Our regulator Ofcom has said
our financial position puts the viability
of that Universal Service at
risk. Our core business lost almost
£1 billion in the last four financial years.
Price increases are therefore needed to
put the service on a sound, sustainable
and secure footing.
We consistently meet some of the
toughest service standards. Our next day
delivery target of 93% for First Class mail is
the highest for any major EU country. We
also deliver six days a week, while in many
other countries it is a five-day service.
No one likes to increase their prices
when the economy is as tough as it is. Any
rises are carefully thought through. I do not
believe there is an affordability issue. Post is
a very small share of people’s weekly spend.
I explained to MPs at the House of
Commons this month that we will have a
Greene
Spotlight on our
customers
scheme for low-income households this
Christmas, enabling them to buy stamps
at 2011 prices. More detail about this will
be published soon.
Our valuable community role
I am delighted to tell you that we have
achieved platinum status in the Business
in the Community’s (BITC) 2012 Corporate
Responsibility Index. This puts us
among the top 40 companies in the UK. It
is a fantastic achievement and a tribute to
we
consistently
meet some of
the toughest
service
standards
Service solutions... our delivery to
neighbour trial is one way we’re
improving things for customers
the incredible work our people do in the
communities they work in.
You do so much in your communities
and I’m looking for your help to choose
our next charity partner. We have worked
closely with the CWU to shortlist three very
worthy charities. You can vote for your
favourite in the employee survey from 10
to 30 April. Look out for a Courier Special
containing all the information you will need
to make your choice coming through your
letterbox next month.
MOYA ON DELIVERING…
FOR OUR PEOPLE
Animal attacks are a key concern
for us. We are part of a ‘Campaign
Coalition’ with the CWU calling for
tough action on dangerous dogs.
Our chairman Donald Brydon has
set up an independent inquiry
headed by former High Court
judge Sir Gordon Langley to come
up with recommendations for
addressing the issue. You can have
your say by emailing
langleyinquiry@gmail.com. More
on page 8.
IN THE COMMUNITY
It never ceases to amaze me to
find out about all the times you
have come to the aid of people in
need of help. Several of these
stories are in this Courier. If you
know someone who has rescued
others, nominate them for a
Chairman’s Award for Excellence.
There is a bravery award this year,
as well as accolades for employees
who have gone out of their way to
support colleagues, customers and
their communities, and an award
for delivering change in our
organisations.
FOR OUR CUSTOMERS
If we are to have a sustainable
future, we must come up with new
ways to make money. While the
internet has had a negative impact
on our business, it does give us
some opportunities to generate
new business. Our Warehousing
service, for example, helps
businesses, especially small firms,
with storing and despatching
orders. Discover on the centre
spread how we’re helping a fancy
dress supplier deliver for its
customers.
get in touch with moya
Moya is keen to hear from you
through the Just Say It channel.
Moya will reply to all who take
part. To get in touch, email
Justsayit@royalmail.com or write
to Just Say It, Freepost
MEET THE TEAM
Editor-in-chief: Mark Glover
Email: mark.glover@royalmail.com
got a
story?
contact
us
AB editor: Lisa Mobley
Email: courier@abcomm.co.uk
Contact the
Courier team
at AB
Publishing on
020 7922
5670
Address: Courier
24-26 Great
Suffolk Street,
London
SE1 0UE
myroyalmail.com
myroyalmail editor: Jo Gurman
Email: mrm@abcomm.co.uk
win!
win a holiday voucher
– see page 16
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Customer focus
STATS
& FACTS
our situation
Our customers are changing. More businesses
and advertisers, less personal mail. We are
adapting to make sure we keep on delivering the
service people expect from us.
3
PACKETS
IN A YEAR
87
OF OUR
% DAILY
MAILBAG
IS
50
of our
largest
customers
=
40%
OF how
much mail
we handle
WE NOW DELIVER
addressed
MAIL
VOLUMES
down
25-
30%
IN 6 YEARS
59 MILLION
ITEMS A DAY
IT WAS 80 MILLION
JUST A FEW YEARS AGO
what customers ARE SAYING – turn over

4 March 2012 courier@royalmail.com
4
Customer focus
businessES
CUSTOMERS HAVE THEIR SAY
What they like about our service, and where we’re not so hot
‘ensure that all
postage sent
arrives at the
RIGHT delivery
address.’
‘IF we ask a
question, we rarely
get a response,
certainly not
within an
acceptable time
frame.’
packaging materials company
Retail giant
consumerS
5 categories cause
79% of total
complaints from
customers
‘We use Royal mail
for all of our smaller
parcels and post. We are
very happy with the
service you provide.’
outdoor and travel product
MAKER
‘Postmen and
women are
very polite
and
professional.’
Asset management
company
Redirections
Misdeliveries
P739 ‘Something for You’ cards
Redeliveries
Proof of Delivery
how are we responding?
see opposite

myroyalmail.com
Customer
For daily news, visit
focus
March 2012 5
5
what are we doing to tackle the 5
main causes of complaints?
We need to carry out the correct procedure
for using P739 cards – see page 6
Introducing dedicated Redirections sorting
frames to ensure they are carried out daily
and we don’t miss any
Keeping open around 600 enquiry
offices up to 2 hours later on
Wednesdays and Saturdays
to give customers more
flexibility to pick up items
Pictures: xxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx
More Postal Digital Assistants (PDAs) to
capture signatures – we now have more
than 42,000
Extending our delivery to
neighbour trial – see page 6
improving the customer experience – TURN OVER

6 March February 2012 2012
courier@royalmail.com
6
Customer focus
improving the customer experience
good signs
Card
sharp
Better service... Jim says it’s vital the
cards are completed correctly
Dos and don’ts of P739 cards
Look out for
a new handy card
with tips on P739s
and other customer
complaint
reductions
soon
Pete’s praise... Pete says delivery to neighbours is
popular with both customers and staff
Our P739 ‘Something for you’ cards are
one of the top five causes of customer
complaints, so we need to make sure we
follow the right procedure.
Customers sometimes complain that they get
a card through the door even when they’re
home, and therefore believe the postman or
woman hasn’t tried to deliver the item.
Andy Hughes, operations customer
experience manager, says: ‘Postmen and women
must take out every item for delivery unless the
customer has told us otherwise. Even if you know
a customer well and think they’re likely to be out
at the time you deliver, you still need to try.’
Items must be posted all the way through the
letterbox or, if they’re too big or need to be
signed for, handed direct to the addressee and a
signature taken. If you can’t hand the item to the
addressee and no safe place instruction is
present, you should pop a P739 through the
letterbox and take the item back to the delivery
office. Make sure the time you write on the card
gives enough time to take the item back before
the customer collects.
Postman Jim Clarke from Kenilworth says: ‘It’s
essential that we all fill in the time we attempted
delivery, as well as our initials and round
numbers. The new card design definitely gives
better customer service as we can give more
information about the item we’re holding.’
transforming bulk mail
next month sees the launch of our
biggest ever overhaul of services
for advertisers, publishers and
businesses.
Bulk mail services are being simplified
into just five products:
Advertising Mail
Sustainable® Advertising Mail
Publishing Mail
Business Mail 1st Class
Business Mail.
‘We’re offering quicker deliveries,’
says head of media products Tim Cable.
‘From April we aim to deliver sorted
2nd Class mail within two working days
of posting, and Economy (previously
Mailsort 3) within four working days,
down from seven.’
by ben Mccormick
Customers near the Citadel Road
delivery office in Hull will be delighted our
delivery to neighbour trial is being
extended.
The office, which merged with Harpings Road
in June last year, began its trial of the new service
last year. It is already proving popular, especially
with customers who live in the area previously
covered by Harpings Road, who would have to
travel further to collect parcels when they
weren’t in to collect them.
‘Being able to drop parcels off with
opening the door to new business
Our Door to Door team took a
stand at the National Franchise
Exhibition to drum up new
business.
Helen Peach, head of SMEs (small
and medium enterprises) for Door to
Door, says: ‘A survey last year showed
the estimated annual turnover of
business franchises is £11.8 billion, with
89% of franchisees saying they had a
profitable business. It’s a great market to
neighbours has been popular with customers
and with staff in the callers’ office too – if we
hadn’t had the trial in the run-up to Christmas, it
would have been really difficult,’ says postman
Pete Dervey.
Initial feedback from the trial areas show the
new way of working is proving popular.
Satisfaction is 92% among customers, with seven
out of 10 very satisfied, and 90% among
neighbours.
The trial was given regulatory approval. We
want to bring our terms and conditions more in
line with other mail carriers.
be involved in.’
Door to Door already serves many
franchise businesses as our products
and services fits their needs perfectly.
The two days gave us plenty of
chances to talk to interested people
about Door to Door. Helen says: ‘At one
point, there was a queue of people
wanting to talk to us, which goes to
show the level of interest in Door to
Door and the power of being able to
Howard Matthews, chief executive of printing firm Loricas Solutions
Ltd, says: ‘This is probably the biggest change to bulk mail services we
have ever seen, but not before time.
Many bulk mail customers turned to
access providers not only because of
price, but also as they couldn’t
understand the service that best suited
their needs. To be brutally honest, many
were turned off from Royal Mail by the
complexity of it all.’
talk to potential customers face-to-face.’
The team gave out 1,000 brochures
and CDs and is now processing all the
sales leads generated, with more
coming through on email.
Helen says: ‘We have made a three to
one return on the investment, and are
having very productive conversations
working together with large franchisors
to ensure there is continued use of Door
to Door in the coming years.’
SCAN THIS
CODE TO
READ MORE
ABOUT THE
CHANGES...
Children with Cancer charity
founder Eddie O’Gorman
is using our Door to Door
service next month
developing our media business
and new services for customers
– see centre spread

For daily news, visit
myroyalmail.com
March 2012 7
Pictures: xxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx
18
previewing
OLYMPICS
games plan
by LISA MOBLEY
We’re making sure customers affected by
the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic
Games are kept up-to-date with our plans.
Some of our biggest business customers
in London are being treated to a behind-thescenes
tour of our Olympics planning room
at Mount Pleasant mail centre, so they can
see first-hand how we’re aiming to keep
disruption to their deliveries and collections
to a minimum.
‘We’ve already written to 48,000 business
contacts across the eight London postcode
areas (including NW London served by the
Thames Valley region) to reassure them that
we’ll keep our services running as much as
MONDAYS TO GO...
it’s possible,’ says Martha Roberts, head of
customer service communications.
‘We’re asking them to help us by being
more flexible than usual on delivery and
collection times though. Many of our routes
will be impacted by the Olympic Route
Network of roads across the capital, which
are designated for Olympics-only traffic and
are no stopping zones, and there’s likely to
be more congestion on other roads.
‘We’ll communicate with them again soon
and include more detail about their mail
services.
‘We’ll also write to around two million
residential addresses in due course about
our plans, and posters and leaflets will
be available in 106 callers’ offices around
service stats show
mixed results
London and in London Post Office branches.’
In April, customers will be able to access
information on the web at www.royalmail.
com/2012 that will be updated regularly as
the plans for collections and deliveries are
finalised in the run-up to the Games.
Martha adds: ‘We’re also working with
Games organiser LOCOG about how we
will serve customers based inside venues
such as the Olympic Park. There are some
restrictions over access, so we’re agreeing
solutions such as call and collect facilities
for customers.’
Look out for news of pillar boxes being
installed at the Olympic Park soon, and we’ll
also hear how areas outside London are
planning for the Games.
Our latest Quality of Service figures show
we delivered most items on time, but narrowly
missed our First Class target.
The results cover the third quarter of the financial
year, from the second week of September to the
first week of December 2011. 92.3% of First Class
stamped and franked (meter) mail arrived the next
day, against our target of 93.0%.
We did hit our Second Class target. For Second
Class stamped and franked mail, 98.5% arrived on
time within three working days after posting, bang on
target for this category of mail.
There was also good news on parcels – we exceeded
our standard parcels service target. International
deliveries to European destinations were
also ahead of target.
Mark Higson, managing director for operations
and modernisation, says: ‘Our target for next-day
delivery of First Class mail is challenging, and we are
disappointed on behalf of our customers to have narrowly
missed hitting it in the autumn.
‘Our postmen and women are determined to
deliver the best possible service to our customers.’
guest EDITOR’S CoLUMN
Ted Stead, driver, Rochdale,
and CWU branch secretary
this
issue was an eyeopener.
It makes you
appreciate the hard
work that goes into
each edition.
The theme for the
March issue is how
customers perceive us
as a business. Their
comments – good and
bad – show how we
can learn from what
they say and improve
our operation to
enhance the quality of
service we provide.
It is a fact that
what once was our
bread and butter –
letters traffic – has
decreased, and
will decline further.
Packets, on the other
hand, are increasing,
and we have to look
at innovative ways to
keep the customers
we have and, more
importantly, to attract
new business.
Many delivery offices
are going through
revisions at the
moment, not without
difficulty in some areas.
These problems must
be ironed out before
we can look at further
improvement and
change.
The key is giving
the customer or
prospective customer
what they want while
maintaining a fair and
manageable, agreed
workload.
Fancy filling the guest editor’s
chair? Email courier@
abcomm.co.uk or call
020 7922 5670

8 March 2012 courier@royalmail.com
Also, w
Dangerous dogs
– what we’re doing
Stephen
Carabine’s
story
by JO GURMAN
In June last year, Stephen Carabine,
a postman from Belfast, was delivering
mail when a German Shepherd
dog appeared from behind a property
and latched on to his hand.
Fortunately there was a chemist opposite
and Stephen managed to get help.
The chemist called the police and Stephen
was rushed to hospital after suffering
extensive blood loss. He
received seven stitches to
his hand, followed by
months of treatment
and physiotherapy.
Consultants have
said he is unlikely to
recover full movement
in his hand,
which became
severely infected
with
cellulitis, a
serious bacteriological
infection.
As well as
coping with the physical trauma, Stephen
also suffered post traumatic shock and
has been receiving therapy. He has since
returned to work on light duties.
Stephen says: ‘Attitudes need to
change. If a human had attacked me, it
would have been a criminal offence, so
we need to prosecute irresponsible dog
owners.
‘Postmen and women should be given
as much information as possible about
the location of dangerous dogs to forearm
them on their walks.’
Stephen commended the CWU, which
was instrumental in getting the Northern
Ireland Dangerous Dogs Act updated.
The law now applies to private premises,
enabling the owner in this case to be prosecuted.
This will be the first prosecution involving
a postal worker under the new Act,
should it proceed.
The case is currently being investigated
by Belfast City Council and Stephen says
he hopes this new legislation will help. ‘It
might take a while, but if we can bring irresponsible
owners to account, it may
also help prevent further attacks.’
Our chairman Donald Brydon has announced an
independent inquiry into attacks by dogs on postmen
and women.
It will be led by Sir Gordon Langley, a former High Court
judge, with the aim of making recommendations to protect
our people.
We are already part of a ‘campaign coalition’ with the
CWU and other organisations looking for a solution to the issue
of dangerous dogs.
Donald says: ‘It is an offence to decency that good people
should suffer these attacks when carrying out their daily jobs
and serving the public. I am delighted that Sir Gordon has
agreed to carry out this inquiry.’
Dave Joyce, CWU national health and safety officer, who
has spearheaded the Union’s Bite Back campaign, says: ‘Having
achieved law changes in Scotland and Northern Ireland,
changes in Wales this year now look a strong possibility following
our discussions with Welsh Assembly ministers.
‘We are expecting an announcement from Defra about England
before the Easter recess. We just hope it’s as positive as the
rest of the UK. In the meantime, we are maintaining our pressure.’
Safety measures in place
Nationally, we have so far identified around 100,000 potentially
dangerous dogs, which we have added to our electronic
Walk Risk Assessment Platform (WRAP).
Safety director Ricky McAulay says: ‘We’re keen to make
people aware of where these dogs are located. Having some
sense of the location of a dangerous dog will heighten awareness,
which in turn will improve people’s ability to respond
rather than being caught by surprise.’
According to research, there are three times of year when
dog attacks peak – April, July/August and October, which
are all school holidays.
Ricky says: ‘During school holidays, the routine of the household
typically changes, and dogs may be out and about in the
garden more during the day. Also, when dogs and children are
out together, we know that by nature the dog may become
more defensive and change its normal behaviour.
‘The very clear and simple message to our people is DON’T
take the risk – if a dog shows any signs of aggression, do not
enter the premises. Stay safe.’
Pension
increase
next month
Royal Mail pensioners
will receive a cost of living
increase from 9 April 2012.
Pensions that began before
25 April 2011 will attract the
full increase. Those that started
since then will receive a proportionate
increase. In some
cases, any increase may be
subject to the Guaranteed Minimum
Pension payable as part
of the Royal Mail pension.
Head of Pensions and Severance
Duncan Codling says:
‘If you are eligible for the increase,
you will receive a letter
before 9 April to let you know
your new rate of pension. The
new rate will be paid with your
first pension payment due after
9 April.
‘Please notify the Pensions
Service Centre in writing of
any changes to your address or
personal circumstances such
as name or marital status, as
failure to do so could affect
your pension payments.’
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For daily news, visit
myroyalmail.com
March 2012 9
MOVING IN AT MEDWAY
by GARY MOSS
The eagerly anticipated new £71 million
Medway mail centre opened its doors
last month.
The first group of 53 postmen and
women started work on 14 February.
Paul Cribb, who processed the first letter at
the state-of-the-art site in Kent, says: ‘It was a
great honour to process the letter, to the Queen.’
The new site, which will eventually
house 850 staff, will take on the work from
Tonbridge, Maidstone, Canterbury and
Dartford mail centres.
We are having to close some of our mail
centres because of the drop in how much
mail we now handle. The rise in ecomms
has had a huge impact on the mail industry.
Our strategy is to have the right number
of mail centres in the right places to best
serve the needs of our customers.
Medway will be at full strength by September
this year, when everyone will have moved
in and there will be four intelligent letter sorting
machines in operation.
Plant manager Keith Tomlinson says: ‘I
lived and breathed this project for 2½ years,
so to see people working here now is a
great reward.
‘I want to build a brand new Medway
culture and make this the flagship mail
centre in the country.’
Pictures: xxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx
First post... Paul was honoured to
process Medway’s first letter
Reward... Keith is pleased the
plant is up and running
Meanwhile, the North East region mail centre strategy is powering ahead
by GARY MOSS
leading the way
A £7 million refurbishment
project to increase the size
of Leeds mail centre by a
third is in full swing.
The extra 5,000m 2 of
floor space will see the
centre take on the
workloads of Bradford
and York by
July 2013.
We are reviewing
processing operations
across the
UK because we have
less mail to handle.
The current average
daily workload of two million
items at Leeds will increase
by around 50%.
The site is getting four new
Changing times...
Chris understands
the moves
integrated mail processors
(IMPs), in addition to the six
IMPs and Flats Sorting Machine
already on site.
Employees at York and
Bradford will be given
the chance to move
across, but can discuss
all their options,
including
leaving the business,
through the
Clear Choice programme.
Postman Chris Rodgers,
from Leeds, says: ‘I
welcome the change.
‘We’ve got to get real; these
changes need to happen. We
must evolve and become leaner.’
North
-East
moves
TYNESIDE 2013
Darlington
leeds 2013
Bradford
sheffield 2015
Teesside
York
space
crafted
by BEN McCORMICK
A full revision at Downpatrick has
transformed the delivery office, improved
efficiency and given postmen
and women more room.
As well as new walks, shared vans and
trolleys, the revision at the Northern Ireland
site has also seen a whole raft of indoor
changes such as taking out prep frames,
turning them round 90 degrees and knocking
through into an empty workshop to
create more space.
Downpatrick is one of 11 sites trialling
the indoor revisions.
‘The layout change has made a huge
Hull
Doncaster
Sorted... Allen says the revisions are
making a difference in Downpatrick
difference,’ says A+ champion Allen
Gallagher, responsible for keeping
delivery point information up-to-date.
‘We’re now more efficient and
everyone’s got more space to move
around in.
‘The process changes have made things
clearer as well. We’ve sequenced the
14,500 delivery points so they’re all up-todate
and we’re now much clearer on the
procedures. And while there have been
one or two issues with duty changes, we expect
them to be solved as part of the ongoing
review into the walks.’
sheffield strides on
A £25 million project to increase mail traffic
by 70% at Sheffield is also under way.
It involves increasing the current
12,200m 2 to 15,860m 2 .
The project is aiming for completion by
April 2013, paving the way for the site to
take on the mailbags of Doncaster and Hull
by 2015.
Centre manager Jon Adams says: ‘The
site will be extended on the north and east
sides, so it’s a fairly complex project and
the end state of the building will be very
impressive.
‘We will be moving all our letter sorting machines 90 degrees and adding
two more, so it will be a dramatic change.’
Ken Luckeman, who has worked at the mail centre since it opened in
1999, says: ‘We certainly need the extra space, and people are looking
forward to it improving the job we do.’
And Tyneside mail centre is nearing the end of construction work to increase
its floor space to 1,400m 2 .
The extended site will house two new IMPs, the first of which has
already arrived, allowing the site to process mail from Darlington and
Teesside mail centres by the summer of 2013.
Digging in... (from left) centre
manager Jon Adams, operations
manager Alison Wright, postman Ken
Luckeman, project manager Dave
Norfolk and Lord Mayor of Sheffield
Sylvia Dunkerley

10 March 2012 courier@royalmail.com For daily news, visit myroyalmail.com
March 2012 11
another
Using Royal Mail’s services is the
most efficient way of reaching people
satisfied
building our media business and developing new services
Packing
outfitby hilary robertson
When Maidenhead customer Arun Mukherjee ordered a
costume from party gear supplier Escapade, he had no idea
of the process it would go through before he received it
from his postman Terry Dingley.
Camden-based Escapade uses our
Warehousing, Tracked and
Parcelforce Worldwide services to
supply up to 15,000 items a month to its
customers around the UK and Europe.
Pendra Maisuria took over Escapade in
2003 and says: ‘I set up an online catalogue
and we quickly went from a couple of
packages to a few sacks each day. Now we
work more closely with Royal Mail to
ensure we keep our 99.7% customer
satisfaction rating.’
Our business development manager
Gerry Farwell says: ‘Before outsourcing to
our Warehousing operation, Escapade was
growing fast and struggling to resource its
critical seasonal market, Halloween.
‘Now, it is celebrating 30 years in the
business, while delivering consistently high
levels of customer service throughout the year.’
2Next comes sorting and
careful packaging. ‘We use
either a polylope plastic bag
or a box to protect items like this,
where there’s a mask to go along
with the rest of the outfit.’
Driving
3Driver Paul Hopewell collects the Yorks and delivers
them to Derby mail centre. He says: ‘I always like to
see my customers’ businesses performing well. I feel
it is a major benefit on my part to engage and create a good
relationship with them. This is replicated by them trusting
us to deliver a premier service.’
Sorting
Sorting
4Neil Ward and Adrian Gregory on the late
shift at Derby helped process Arun’s
package. Adrian says: ‘We scan all the
packages with the tracking gun so customers can
immediately track their delivery, then we sort by
postcode to go to the National Distribution Centre.’
Warehousing
is a new area
for us, but we
already have
more than 30
customers
Star turn... Stacey Solomon and Kushal with the leaflets
Just how did Arun’s Thor costume reach him after he ordered it online?
Doing it for the kids
by ben hall
people across the country,’ says Eddie.
The charity is supported by 32
National charity Children with celebrities, featured on the Door to
Cancer will gain nationwide Door envelopes.
publicity next month with our
help.
The charity will be sending out 28.5
Sir Paul McCartney, Dame Judi
Dench, Sir Michael Caine, Jonathan
Ross, Sir Steve Redgrave, Ant and Dec,
million letters in a UK-wide Door to Gary Lineker OBE and Stacey
Door drop to put it on the map.
Eddie O’Gorman OBE and his late
wife Marion founded Children with
Cancer after losing their son Paul to
leukaemia and daughter Jean to breast
cancer.
The charity, account managed by
Tracy Williams, carries out life-saving
research, funds welfare projects and
strives to raise awareness of childhood
cancer.
‘Although we are into our 25th year,
we’re still not very well known, so
using Royal Mail’s services in this way is
the most efficient way of reaching
Solomon are just a handful of those
helping to publicise the charity.
‘We are celebrity driven because
awareness is everything,’ says Eddie.
‘Hopefully, if people take the time to
read the leaflet they’ll stop and think;
there are lots of children alive because
of our efforts.’
Brentford postman Kushal Shah
says: ‘Doing a photo shoot with a
celebrity was a bit different from the
day job!
‘I’m looking forward to playing a
small part in spreading the charity’s
message when we deliver the leaflets.’
1John Goodwin works
in the Burton-on-
Trent warehouse. He
says: ‘Our innovative
warehouse management
system groups orders into a
“wave” to help us quickly
pick items from the right
shelf for each order.’
Picking
Distribution
5David Wilkinson, bay marshal,
who has worked at NDC since
it opened in 2003, says: ‘The
growth in packet traffic means more
work for us here but must be good for
the future of Royal Mail.’
6After travelling by lorry from NDC to
Greenford and scanned there, the
package is scanned again at Maidenhead
delivery office. Postman Terry Dingley says: ‘We
deliver a lot of packages to people’s offices now,
making it more convenient.’
Delivery
7Terry’s round takes him to Arun’s office,
where he scans the package for the last
time and hands it to the customer. Arun
says: ‘I’m dressing as Thor for a team-building
event we’re doing. It’s great to be able to buy
the outfit online and choose the delivery time.’
scan this code
to read more

12 March 2012
courier@abcomm.co.uk
Watch
&win
WINNING’S NO HANDICAP
Weekends away and a helping hand on the
golf course are the benefits Allan Higgins has
enjoyed through our Watch&Win scheme.
by GARY MOSS
Allan Higgins, from Patchway
delivery office, has earned
nearly £900 in rewards since
he began identifying new
business leads three years
ago.
‘I’ve added a few excellent Nike
golf clubs to my bag – and I play
off a 16 handicap now, so I’m a
little bit better than I was,’ says
Allan. ‘I’ve also enjoyed some
weekends away with my wife.
‘Watch&Win is so easy. ‘I’ve
got myself into a great routine of
jotting down contact details for
companies I see not using Royal
Mail and won some great prizes.’
EASTER PRIZE
DRAW
We would love to have new
Watch&Win members on board.
If you haven’t sent us a lead
since March 2011, you could be
entered into a prize draw to win
one of three Kindles when your
first lead is accepted.
The deadline for submitting a
lead is 31 March 2012, when the
draw will take place.
So, if you see a new business
opportunity for Royal Mail, get in
touch. It only takes a minute or
two to report a lead.
Join the club... Allan has upped his
golfing game thanks to Watch&Win
Reporting a lead
Complete a spotter’s card –
available in your office
Email us at
watch&win@royalmail.com
Call us on our freephone
0800 32 11 44
Via the Watch&Win
application on your PDA
If you have access, via the
Watch&Win intranet portal
Once you submit your lead,
you’ll automatically become a
member of the Watch & Win club
with great benefits. You could also
earn up to £1,000 worth of reward
points per lead.
court
in the act
Our regular round-up of convictions
around the country. Phil Gerrish, head
of criminal investigation, says: ‘It
doesn’t matter where people work in
the business, if they act dishonestly
and steal or interfere with the mail
they will be caught and prosecuted. It
affects our customers and it harms our
reputation, and the courts treat it very
seriously.’
Glynis Kirvan, a delivery work area manager from
Newcastle City delivery office who stole postal
packets containing cash, gift cards and vouchers,
pleaded guilty at Newcastle Crown Court to four
charges of theft and three of fraud on 27 January
2012. Kirvan was sentenced to a total of 16 months’
imprisonment.
Ysmael Cruz, a postman from Plaistow, stole
postal packets containing home shopping
purchases, mobile phones and cheques and debit/
credit cards. Cruz pleaded guilty at Kingston Crown
Court on 17 January 2012 to two charges of theft
and was sentenced to 10 months’ imprisonment.
David Ronan, a postman from Oldham delivery
office who stole two postal packets containing cash
and delayed a further 708, pleaded guilty to four
charges at Oldham Magistrates’ Court on 24
January 2012. He was sentenced to a total of four
months’ imprisonment.
Mario Tomalela, an agency casual working in the
south London area who stole postal packets
containing credit cards, pleaded guilty to three
charges of theft at Kingston Crown Court on 18
January 2012. Tomalela was sentenced to four
months’ imprisonment (two of them suspended) on
each charge, to run concurrently.
Contacts
How to get in touch
Bullying & Harassment Helpline
0800 587 4777
Speak Up (whistleblowing)
Report a breach of our licence or legal
obligations to a confidential external
hotline.
Call 0800 097 1131 or visit
www.intouchfeedback.com/royalmail
Disability Helpline
0800 028 6142 or email
disability.helpline@royalmail.com
Pensions Helpline
Postline 5456 4545
or 0114 241 4545 (employees)
0845 603 0043 (pensioners)
Human Resources
Royal Mail business units:
Postline 5456 7100 or 0845 606 0603/0114
241 8890
HELP
Employee assistance service for free
advice.
Call 0800 688 8777
Security Helpdesk
Tel 020 7239 6655 or email
securityhelpdesk
@royalmail.com
Royal Mail Uniforms Helpline
0800 731 5137
email royalmail@dimensionscorporatewear.co.uk
Questions/ideas to
Moya Greene
Email Justsayit@royalmail.com
Or write Freepost to
Freepost Just Say It
watch&win
PO Box 613, Barnsley S73 3BB
Freephone 0800 032 1144
email watch&win@royalmail.com
Charity funding support
Email royalmail@charitiestrust.org
Tel 0151 284 1221
Property & Facilities Helpdesk
(reporting building faults)
0844 800 9191
Springboard
Development programme for women in
non-management grades.
For more information,
call Preeti Lad
on 01788 512238 or
email preeti.lad@royalmail.com
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For daily news, visit myroyalmail.com March 2012 13
Fast-paced...
Stuart joined
in 2010
the search is on
Are you a graduate working in our
business? Then why not apply to join
our graduate scheme, which is open to
people internally as well as externally.
We are looking for senior leaders of the
future in Operations, Logistics, Finance,
Human Resources and Commercial. Are
you one of the talented graduates not yet
fully using your qualification?
Stuart Templeton is shift manager at Aberdeen
mail centre and one of the 2010 intake.
He says: ‘I was a sergeant in the army.
When I left, I began a degree course at the
University of Stirling and started working
for Royal Mail, then applied for one of the
graduate programmes.’
Stuart was involved in implementing
delivery revisions at Bishop Briggs delivery
office. He says: ‘It’s quite unbelievable
how much I’ve learned, at such a
fast pace: it’s a fantastic opportunity.’
Applications for this year’s scheme
are open until the end of March.
Find out more at www.yoursfor
thetaking.net
uniforms at click of
a button
by LISA MOBLEY
Online uniform ordering is being
introduced across the regions.
It was trialled at five delivery offices
in Wales – Dolgellau, Newport
East, Tenby, Treorchy and Welshpool
– before going
live throughout the
region this month.
The South West is
next, and it’ll launch
region by region over
the next few months.
It’s very
easy to use
... really
convenient
Tenby postman
Charlie Clode was
the first to try the new system. He
says: ‘It’s very easy to use. There
are pictures of every item you
can order.
‘I ordered some shorts, trousers,
shirts and a hat from home, which
was really convenient. If it’s set up as
Order, order... Charlie found the
online system easy to use
a Favourites site on the computers at
the delivery office, it’ll be really easy
for people to access it.’
Julie Brown, uniforms and print
supply advisor, says: ‘The order is
sent direct to our
uniform supplier
Dimensions, so orders
are processed
quickly.
‘People have the
same uniform allowance
as now – the
system will flag it up
if someone’s reached their limit.
‘Most of the ordering will be carried
out by the employee, so managers
are freed up to focus on their
core job, and staff can order new
items from their allocation as and
when they need them.’
Vroom for one more
by BEN HALL
West London distribution centre (WLDC) has
been trialling another electric vehicle as part of
our evaluations of potential ‘greener’ transport.
The French-made Mia van has been on loan with
WLDC since February and was custom built for its trial
with us. Staff have provided good feedback when testing
other vehicles, so they were chosen to evaluate this one.
Postman Steven Smith has driven the vehicle, which
has one seat and the same tight turning circle as a
Hackney carriage taxi.
‘It’s been fine to drive around in and has drawn plenty of
interest from people along my route,’ he says. ‘Doing something
like this or trying an alternative method of working is
a nice break from the norm, and I’d definitely do it again.’
Fleet manager Ted O’Brien says he is eager to continue
reducing carbon emissions from his vehicles at
WLDC, 10 of which are already hybrid diesel vans.
Head of fleet and asset technical services Richard Wiggins
believes it is important to establish alternative fuels where the
reduction or avoidance of mileage is not practical.
‘Electric vehicles are a key part of our current work in this
area,’ says Richard. ‘We are looking at manufacturing options
for alternative fuel vehicles, which we will then review
to understand how they could fit in to our organisation.’
Red goes green... Steven
and fleet and asset technical
services advisor Nigel Lawson
Visit PlayStation Rewards to get exclusive Royal Mail employee discounts on PS Vita related items from 22.02.12
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14 March 2012 courier@royalmail.com
MY other life
Scott Grenney is workplace coach at the Manual Data Entry Centre in
Plymouth and also runs a website for the local Barbican area of the city.
Community champion
Kevin wanders in
by GARY MOSS
Premier League striker Kevin Davies swapped life at the
Reebok Stadium for a day with us at Bolton mail preparation
unit.
As part of the mystery guest feature on BBC sports quiz show A
Question of Sport, the Bolton Wanderers player was filmed in front
of the cameras sorting mail and loading it into a van as if he was going
out on his delivery.
The show’s mystery guest round asks contestants to guess a famous
sports star from a series of furtive clips – but no one could
identify him on the show, which aired on Monday 6 February.
Davies, who has also been capped for England, took the time to
chat to postmen and women working on the day.
Lifelong Bolton fan Jim Molloy says: ‘Kevin is a well-respected
player and I thought he was a good bloke too.
‘I came back from delivery that day and was curious what all the
big crowds were about, so I went over. I didn’t expect to find that!
‘It was certainly a good story to tell my mates.’
I
set up www.barbicanwaterfront.
com to help support local
‘
businesses in February 2011. I
tend to do a couple of hours in
the mornings before I come to work
and a few hours at the weekend.
‘It was so difficult to find information
about the area, and I realised that locals
and tourists alike might be missing out.
‘Another bonus is that working on the
site really takes away my stress and
keeps my mind active. For the last three
months, I’ve been covering a manager
and managing their team, so it’s been
quite busy at work.
‘As soon as I started the site, it got noticed
and people began to email information
to me. It took off from there.
Local businesses and the community
have supported me and like the way I
am giving something back to help them,
as the Plymouth Barbican is a really
nice place that is starting to be recognised
more.
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provided by Vauxhall Finance, a trading style of GMAC UK plc, PO Box 6666, Cardiff CF15 7YT. Finance is subject to status, terms and conditions. Applicants must be 18 years or over. Offer applies to private individuals, Vauxhall Partners and small businesses
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Official Government Test Environmental Data – Fuel Consumption Figures mpg (litres/100km): Astra SRi hatchback range: Urban: 28.5 (9.9) – 60.1 (4.7), Extraurban:
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For daily news, visit
myroyalmail.com
More postmen and women GO THE EXTRA MILE TO HELP THE PUBLIC...
Lifesaver vikki
frees trapped
driver
March 2012 15
blaze
hero
rescues
family
by HILARY ROBERTSON
Brave Peterhead postwoman Vikki McRobbie was quick on
the scene to help an elderly driver who had crashed his car.
‘I was out on my walk in the West Road area of Peterhead and
heard a car speeding up,’ she says. ‘As I turned to look, it collided
with a wall.
‘Instinct took over and I ran to the car and tried to free the driver.
I saw smoke coming from the engine and realised there was a gas
supply behind the wall he’d hit.’
Although the driver’s door was jammed, Vikki persevered and
eventually managed to free the driver.
Other cars stopped, and Vikki asked someone to call the emergency
services.
The man was treated at the scene and Vikki was praised for coming
to his aid so quickly.
Rock steady… the team made sure the mail got through
Quick-thinking… Vikki helped a crash victim
Swift action… John helped save
a family from a fire
Cumbernauld postman John McClelland
raised the alarm when he realised a house on
his walk was on fire.
John was on the first street of his walk in North
Lanarkshire when he smelt smoke – a chip pan had
caught fire in a customer’s home.
‘I tried to put the flames out, but it was too severe,’
he says. ‘So I helped the family get out of the
house. The fire brigade, police and ambulance
turned up, and I had to stop my deliveries and go to
the hospital.’
John was kept on an oxygen machine for two
hours before being allowed home.
The customer and her son were grateful to John
for his swift actions and helping to save their home.
NOMINATE YOUR
STAR PERFORMERS
holding the fort
The delivery team at Fort William carried
on regardless when the main A82
was closed to clear a potentially dangerous
250-tonne rock.
Delivery office manager Mari Hopkins says:
‘The road closure came at the same time as
awful storms that caused some of our drivers
to be stranded overnight.
‘Three who were working south of the
blockage didn’t make it home until after 7pm
and two more had to stay overnight in a local
hotel.
‘The team all pulled together and everyone
helped to make sure the mail still got
through to our customers.’
It’s time to get your nominations in for this
year’s Chairman’s Awards for Excellence.
They recognise the unsung heroes and
heroines among our workforce who go above
and beyond the call of duty.
This year, there are two special award
categories – a Change Champion Award and a
Bravery Award. There are also categories for
Customer Excellence, Community Champion
and Best Colleague.
Nominations are open now and close on
9 May 2012. The winners will be announced at
a ceremony on 22 June.
You can nominate a colleague online at
myroyalmail.com, by email to chairmansawards
@royalmail.com, by phone on 0113 224 4811 or
by post to Chairman’s
Awards, c/o Group
Communications, Royal MORE INFO...
Mail, 35-50 Rathbone
Place, London W1T
1HQ. Please include the
nominee’s name, work
location, category and
why you think they
deserve to win.

16 March 2012 courier@royalmail.com
general
Courier
terms & conditions
1. Unless otherwise stated,
prize draws and competitions
are open to all UK Courier
readers aged 18 and over,
except employees and the
immediate families of AB
Publishing Ltd, their agents, or
anyone professionally
connected with the prize draws
or competitions. 2. Closing date
for receipt of entries is Friday 20
April 2012 (unless otherwise
stated). Only one entry per
person. No third party or bulk
entries. 3. No responsibility can
be accepted for entries
incomplete, delayed, wrongly
delivered, damaged or not
received for any reason. Proof
of posting is not proof of
receipt. 4. Prizes must be
accepted as offered and are
subject to availability. No cash
alternative or cash difference
will be offered and prizes are
not transferable. Values of
prizes correct at time of going
to press. 5. Winners will be
notified by post 28 days after
closing date. 6. Winners of prize
draws are the first names
drawn at random or the first
correct entry drawn at random
by an independent person after
the closing date. 7. If a prize is
not claimed within three months
of the closing date, a redraw will
take place. 8. Promoter’s
decision is final. No
correspondence will be entered
into. 9. Entry implies acceptance
of these rules. 10. The promoter
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prize of equal or greater value, if
necessary. 11. Winners’ details
are available 28 days after
closing date. Send an SAE
marked Prize Draw/Competition
Results to Courier, AB Publishing
Ltd, 24-26 Great Suffolk Street,
London SE1 0UE. 12. Winners
may be required to take part in
publicity for promotions. 13.
Promoter is Royal Mail Group
Ltd, 100 Victoria Embankment,
London EC4Y 0HQ. 14. Neither
AB Publishing Ltd or Royal Mail
are responsible for any third
party direct marketing or third
party offers or services. 15. Prize
supplier may want to contact
you directly for marketing
purposes. If you would like to
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mail, please contact prize
supplier directly. If you do not
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please write ‘no’ on your postal
entry. If you do want to receive
information from the prize
supplier and you enter by email,
please write ‘yes’ in the subject
line of your email entry.
The prize for
this month’s
winner is an
Olympus VG-
130 camera.
It boasts 14
megapixels,
a 5x Wide
Optical Zoom,
a three-inch
LCD screen
and HD video
camera.
■ Send your
snaps to
courierphotos
@abcomm.
co.uk or
post to
Courier photo
competition,
24-26 Great
Suffolk Street,
London SE1
0UE. Please
include your
home
address.
Brian Broadley
You’ve been framed
Snow doubt about this
month’s photo competition
winner. Guy Longshaw, from
Stoke delivery office, was
snapped reading his Courier
while snowboarding in Meribel,
France. Hope it didn’t
cause any accidents Guy!
York mail centre postman J Al
Karaki was in sunnier climes when
he visited the spectacular UNESCO
World Heritage Site of Petra in Jordan.
He’s pictured showing two unsuspecting
characters his copy of
Courier.
In Jerusalem, Brian Broadley
from Castlemilk delivery office in
Glasgow took his Courier on a visit
to the Wailing Wall.
And Kishor Nagar spiced up a
trip to Kerala, southern India, with
his copy of Courier. ‘Kerala is full of
tea plantations and famed for all
sorts of spices, and this snap was
taken in the Lake District there,’
says retired Kishor, who worked at
Birmingham sorting office for
nearly 30 years.
Guy Longshaw
J Al Karaki
Kishor Nagar
WINner!
Getaways
up for
grabs
win!
£200
holiday
voucher
Get a helping hand with your holiday
courtesy of Courier.
We’ve got five £200 Virgin Holidays
vouchers up for grabs.
Virgin Holidays offers complete getaways
and flights to a host of destinations, from exotic
beaches to adventurous safaris and buzzing
cities across the globe.
But if you fancy something closer to
home, the voucher can also be used for an
experience day, whether it’s a relaxing spa or
a roaring race track experience.
To be in with a chance of winning, simply
answer the following question and send your
answer, name, work location and contact
number to couriercompetitions@abcomm.
co.uk stating ‘holiday voucher’ in the subject
box, or on a postcard to Courier competition,
24-26 Great Suffolk Street, London SE1 0UE,
by 20 April 2012. The first five correct answers
picked will win the vouchers.
Q: Where would you be if you
woke up in the city that never
sleeps?
7
The one4all Crossword
1
2 3 4 5
8
6
Name
£10
vouchers
to be won
Bag yourself a £10 One4all gift card
in our crossword competition
We have 10 £10 gift cards up for grabs. Once again you’ll find some
help with your answers to this issue’s crossword within the pages of this
issue of Courier. Post your entry to March crossword, Courier, PO Box 165, Ross-on-Wye
HR9 9BP. Closing date: 20 April 2012. See above left for full terms and conditions.
9
10
11
12 13
15
14
Address
Postcode
clues
Across
3. Hanging spike of ice (6)
7. Mail centre receiving a £7
million refurbishment (5)
8. Industrious insect (3)
9. Jack Haley plays this
character in ‘The Wizard Of
Oz’ (3,3)
10. Our customers comprise
more businesses and
______ than before (11)
12. Night before an important
occasion (3)
13. Boat associated with
Venice (7)
15. Substitute (11)
Down
1. Premier League striker who
was filmed at the Bolton mail
preparation unit (5,6)
2. Hallowes, heroine
celebrated on the ‘Britons Of
Distinction’ stamps (6)
4. See 5 Down
5. And 4 Down. Special
award category at this year’s
Chairman’s Awards for
Excellence (6,8)
6. Committed supporters (11)
11. Jamaican music (6)
14. US coin (4)
January’s answers
ACROSS 3 Lemur. 6 Payroll.
7 Tea. 8 Dickens. 9 Tug. 10
Scalpel. 11 Espy. 12 Giving.
15 Emu. 16 Ines. 17 Lungs. 18
Tinsel. Down 1 Maddocks. 2
Bricklayers. 3 Llanelli. 4
Mat. 5 Ryan Giggs. 9 Turing. 11
Exit. 12 Gull. 13 Vine. 14 Nest.

For daily news, visit
myroyalmail.com
March 2012 17
BEST BAAA
NONE
Have you ‘herd’ about our new series
of Post & Go stamps? They focus on
British farm animals, and customers
will be flocking to snap them up.
We’re sure ewe will love the first in the
series, which showcases six breeds of sheep
found in the British Isles, including the Welsh
Mountain Badger Face, an ancient breed
first mentioned in the Domesday Book.
But there’s also the Suffolk, whose allblack
head, legs and almost horizontal ears
make it distinctive. Created from crossing the
Southdown and the Norfolk Horn, its fleece
produces fine knitting wools and tweed.
The next set in this new farm animals
series will be six Post & Go designs on traditional
breeds of pigs, issued on 24 April.
Post & Go terminals allow our customers
to weigh their letters and packets, pay for
and print postage stamps and labels without
visiting the counter.
The stamps have become popular with
the public and collectors alike.
Visit royalmail.com/postandgo
Going underground
by BEN HALL
The Post Office Underground Railway (Mail Rail) in London
is an industrial heritage icon and the only underground system
in the world dedicated to transporting mail.
The British Postal Museum and Archive is working on a conservation
project to preserve mail rail cars from 1930 and 1980.
After declining in use and becoming less economical, the network
was suspended in 2003 and remains closed today.
The BPMA is holding an open day featuring talks, activities, tours,
films and a Mail Rail display in its Postal Museum Store in Debden, Essex.
It will take place on Saturday, 21 April, from 10am to 4pm.
More information is available at www.postalheritage.org.uk/
pageopenday-mailrail
You can
enjoy a
postcard
pack
containing
six postcards
with posters
and pictures
from the BPMA archive
relating to mail by rail for
just £3.75.
Order by calling
020 7239 5125 or
sending a cheque made
payable to ‘Postal
Heritage Services Ltd’ to:
Product Sales,
The British Postal
Museum & Archive,
Freeling House,
Phoenix Place,
London,
WC1X 0DL.
Reader
offer
DISTINCTIVE NEW StAMPs
British spy Odette Hallowes, who became
a national heroine for her work with the
wartime French Resistance, is among the
‘Britons of Distinction’ to be celebrated on
our latest stamps.
The stamps celebrate 10 individuals from science
and technology, architecture, politics and
the arts who have made a major contribution to
British society.
The achievements of architect Sir Basil Spence,
notable for Coventry Cathedral, opera star
Kathleen Ferrier, composer Frederick Delius,
textile designer and artist Mary ‘May’ Morris, and
author and scholar Montague Rhodes James are
also recognised.
Philip Parker, head of stamps strategy, says:
‘Britons of Distinction celebrates important
yet diverse individuals, some of them separated
by centuries.
‘I think the stamps create a great sense of history,
and capture both the achievement and
endeavour of these exceptional people.’
More info at
www.royalmail.com/
britonsofdistinction

18 March 2012 courier@royalmail.com
blowing
danielle’s
trumpet
by HILARY ROBERTSON
Talented trumpeter Danielle Audley-
Wiltshier is realising her dreams thanks to
POOBI (the Post Office Orphans Benevolent
Institution).
Danielle’s grandmother Hazel Wiltshier was in
admin in Chesterfield for 32 years, and raised Danielle.
She says: ‘Danielle is studying for a Bachelor
of Music at the Royal Academy of Music in London,
and POOBI’s university scheme, the Page/Briggs
Bursary, is helping with her expenses.
‘Her parents are both musicians and, from the
age of four, it was obvious she had a real talent for
the trumpet. POOBI has helped us pay for instruments,
tuition, sheet music and travel expenses.’
Danielle passed her grade eight trumpet exam –
the highest possible grade – with distinction at the
age of eight. She was first trumpet in the National
Children’s Orchestra for five years, and at 14 became
the youngest person chosen to participate in
the London Symphony Orchestra Brass Academy.
‘I don’t think Danielle would be at her present
stage of musical development without the help of
POOBI,’ says Hazel.
MEDWAY MARVELS
Fundraising phenomenon… Gurkan Hassan, Tim Hyde,
Keith Tomlinson, Sandra Pizzey, Charlie Falconer and Marek
Toombs. Also in the group are Chariza Usana and Tony Falluto
More info at
www.poobi.org
Trumpeting her
success…
Danielle
and, inset,
Hazel
A new fundraising group
in Medway has raised
more than £21,000 for
local and national charities.
Sandra Pizzey, postwoman
at Tonbridge mail centre, says:
‘We set up our group as part
of the Kent Transformation
Project and we all come from
the four existing mail centres
in Canterbury, Dartford,
Maidstone and Tonbridge.
‘I had breast cancer, so
fundraising for charities was
something I was keen to be
involved in. We’ve got more to
do in 2012 and look forward
to a massive grand total!’
Picture: south wales argus
■ MONKEYING ABOUT
‘People still ask me where my suit
is and say I looked better in it!’ says
Newport postman Richard Avery.
Richard wore a monkey suit to deliver mail
in aid of a three-year-old girl fighting leukaemia.
‘It was just something to get attention so
people would sponsor me,’ says Richard,
who raised £150.
■ PAYING A DEBT
Peter McDevitt and his family
are supporting the hard-working
medical experts who kept Peter alive
after cancer treatment last year.
The Croydon postman hopes to raise £500
for Cancer Research UK. His wife Trish and
daughters Kelly and Maria tackled the 15-mile
Marsden March this month and sponsorship is
rolling in.
‘I feel completely indebted to the medical
team,’ he says. ‘I was in a coma for three weeks,
and now I’m cancer-free and enjoying life again.
To sponsor Peter’s family, go to www.
justgiving.com/Peter-mcdevitt
Car Insurance Colleague Offer
from The People’s Post Office ®
10% discount off your premium
for the first year
of your policy.
Plus, free Breakdown Cover
for the life of the policy with
Post Office ® Car Insurance * .
■ SWANSEA GENEROSITY
After a typhoon hit the Philippines
in December, two Swansea
postmen whose families were
affected appealed to their local
community to help.
‘I just want to say thanks to everyone for
their support,’ says Eselki Verbosidad, whose
home in Dumaguete City was wrecked.
Ismael Embradura lost two cousins in the
disaster. He says: ‘I really can’t believe the
generosity of people at Royal Mail and the
community towards the disaster appeal.’
More than 130 bags of supplies and
£1,200 has been sent to the Philippines.
■ ON TRACK FOR TANZANIA
Leeds distribution driver Chris
Squires is raising sponsorship and
getting fit for a trek in Tanzania.
His trip will include climbing Mount Kilimanjaro
– all in aid of Help for Heroes. To sponsor
Chris, go to www.trek4heroes.org
■ VILLA PARK TO CARROW RD
Julian Walker, processor at Derby
mail centre, is joining 150 other
Aston Villa fans to walk from Villa
Park to Carrow Road in Norwich for
Cancer Research UK.
The walk is timed to arrive for the last
match of the season.
To sponsor Julian, go to www.justgiving.
com/Walk150-4H
GREAT
COLLEAGUE
DEALS
ON BOARD
with Post Office ® Car Insurance
John
‘Dunn’
Good
‘I had been looking at the
challenge of cycling from
John O’Groats to Lands End
for a while. I just needed a
spur to make me do it,’
says John Dunn, early shift
manager at South West
distribution centre.
‘One of our management team,
Steve Binns, was diagnosed with Motor
Neurone Disease a few months
ago, and that pushed me to finally do
it. I had great support from the local
team, and a donation from the business
took the total to nearly £1,000.’
Call 0800 783 9892, quoting 0359602, along with your job title
*Terms & Conditions
1. The offer is open to all Post Office, POFS, Royal Mail Group and FRES colleagues, pensioners, friends and family members who purchase a Car Insurance policy
with Post Office before 31 March 2012. 2. The policy must be purchased directly with Post Office Insurance by telephoning 0800 783 9892 and quoting 0359602
and the colleagues job title. 3. If you hold an existing Post Office Car insurance policy, you must telephone 0800 783 9892 at your renewal time and quote
0359602, and the colleagues job title to activate the free breakdown cover, as it will not be added to your policy automatically. Renewing policies are not entitled
to the first year 10% discount. 4. This offer is not open through purchasing online, branch channels or any price comparison websites. 5. The Breakdown Cover is
attached to the car insurance policy and will end if and when the car insurance policy ends. There is no cash alternative. In the event that the policy ends, no refund
will be due in respect of the Breakdown cover. 6. The Breakdown cover is provided by RAC. The level of cover is Roadside and Recovery. 7. You can downgrade the
level of Breakdown cover when you purchase your policy or at your renewal, or upgrade to tiers C or D. 8. In addition, for the first year that you insure with the
Post Office, a 10% discount on the gross premium will apply, excluding any add-on products, instalment fees and/or charges. 9. Where the policy is purchased by
monthly instalments, the gross premium excluding any add-on products and instalment credit fee, will be reduced by 10% and spread over the monthly payments.
10. This offer will end on 31 March 2012; however we reserve the right to extend, withdraw or amend the offer at any time. 11. Standard policy terms and
conditions apply and will be provided within the documentation when a policy is taken out. 12. This offer is not available in conjunction with any other offer.
The colleague or their associate has the option to take the current consumer offer as an alternative.
Calls may be recorded, monitored and used for training and compliance purposes. Lines open 8am to 9pm Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm Saturday and 10am
to 2pm Sunday. Post Office ® Car Insurance is arranged and administered by BISL Limited. BISL Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial
Services Authority. Registered in England No.3231094. Registered Office: Pegasus House, Bakewell Road, Orton Southgate, Peterborough PE2 6YS.
Post Office Ltd is registered in England and Wales. Registered No. 2154540. Registered Office: 148 Old Street, London EC1V 9HQ.
Post Office and the Post Office logo are registered trade marks of Post Office Ltd.
NOV11 (5670111123)

For daily news, visit
myroyalmail.com
March 2012 19
Money-saving offers and help when you need it Key: Employees only E Employees and pensioners E P
CARS
Affinity Leasing
Up to 45% off a new car.
User name: royal Password: MAIL
Tel: 0845 057 5750
Visit: www.affinityvehicleleasing.com
Blackcircles Tyres
Save money on new tyres and car servicing.
Quote: EDROYAL215.
Tel: 0845 620 2000
Visit: www.blackcircles.com
Hollyfield Benefits
Discounts on car servicing,
tyres or repairs. Quote: rmail01.
Tel: 0845 130 6001
Visit: www.roadserve.co.uk
RAC
Get 35% off new breakdown cover. Quote:
GE0538.
Tel: 0800 092 8609
Visit: www.rac.co.uk/join/benefits
Vauxhall Partners
Programme
Discounts on a wide range of new Vauxhall
vehicles.
Quote: RMGROUP.
Visit: www.partnersprogramme.co.uk
HEALTH
Benenden Healthcare
Healthcare from £1.50 a week.
Tel: 0845 052 5735
Visit: www.benenden.org.uk/courier
CS Healthcare
Build a healthcare plan to suit you.
Tel: 0800 917 4325
Visit: www.cshealthcare.co.uk
Simplyhealth
Help with medical, optician and dental costs.
Quote: SL1773.
Tel: 0800 731 3486.
Visit: www.simplyhealth.co.uk/royalmail
ROYAL MAIL PRODUCTS
Redirection and Keepsafe
Two months’ Keepsafe and up
to two years’ Redirection – free.
To apply: Ask your manager
Smilers stamps
Get 10% off sets of Smilers (paper and
telephone orders only).
Quote: 11JHA.
For more info, visit: www.royalmail.com/smilers
SHOPPING
Apple Employee Purchase Programme
Up to 17% off some gadgets.
Visit: http://store.apple.com/uk/go/eppstore/
royalmail
Bunches flowers
Save 10% on blooms by post.
Quote: RMAIL
Tel: 0800 626 249
Visit: www.bunches.co.uk
Cycle2work
Save tax and NI on a new bike.
Username: rmguser.
Password: rmgbenefit.
Tel: 0845 077 8850
Visit: www.cycle2work.net/employees
EDF Energy Shop
15% discount at EDF Energy’s online Energy
Shop. Available until 29 February 2012
Quote: RME15
Visit: www.edfenergy.com/products-services/
for-your-home/energy-store/
Joe Browns
Get 15% off men’s and women’s clothing.
Quote: MAR916.
Tel: 0113 270 6655
Visit: www.joebrowns.co.uk
Kaspersky
Internet security products for up to 50% less.
Quote: Royalmail25.
Visit: www.kaspersky.co.uk/royalmail
Moko Chocolates
Get 15% off chocolate gifts sent to UK
addresses. Quote: RMAIL
Visit: www.mokochocolates.co.uk
Tel: 0800 027 3387
Sharp Affinity Programme
Savings of up to 40% on TVs etc. Quote: MEC4Y.
Visit: www.sharpdirect.co.uk/royalmail
Sony PlayStation
Visit: https://royalmail.playstation
rewards.co.uk and enter code: PLAYSTATION3
for discounts.
Sport & LEISURE
Airport Parking & Hotels
A 10% discount on parking at major UK
airports. Quote: RMAIL.
Tel: 0844 871 7521.
Visit: www.aph.com/rmail
cottages4you
10% off holiday lets. Quote: STAF10.
Visit: www.cottageselection.co.uk/sites/
cottageselection/partners/rym
Tel: 0845 268 1335
CSMA Club
Discounts on leisure retreats, live events and
motoring benefits.
Visit: www.csmaclub.co.uk/royalmailgroup
David Lloyd Leisure
Gym membership and free trials.
Tel: 0844 848 4737
Visit: www.davidlloyd.co.uk
English Heritage
Free entry for colleagues, one adult
guest and up to six children to 280
English Heritage sites by showing a
work pass, plus discounts on holiday
cottages (quote: HROYAL); on prints at
www.englishheritageprints.com (quote:
CRPT815); and at shops (quote:
EHCORPRM12).
Visit: www.english-heritage.org.uk/
corporatemembers or intranet for
a list of free-to-visit sites
Fitness First
Money off membership at more than
170 Fitness First health clubs.
Tel: 0870 898 8080
Visit: www.fitnessfirst.co.uk
Hoseasons
Discounts on holidays. Quote: mail.
Tel: 0844 847 1296
Visit: www.hoseasons.co.uk/royalmail
Merlin Entertainment
Up to 55% off entry to top
UK attractions. Quote: Royal Mail.
Tel: 0871 222 4001
Visit: www.merlincorporate
discounts.co.uk (quote: megcorp)
Mygolfpass
Discounted golf in UK and Europe.
Visit: www.mygolfpass.com/rmgroup
Royal Mail Sports Foundation
Help with sports kit and training.
Tel: 0845 600 9665
Email: sportsfoundation@royalmail.com
Shift into Sports
Contract-free, discounted fitness facilities.
Quote: post2012.
Visit: www.shiftintosports.com/royalmailgroup
SUPPORT FOR YOU
Childcare Voucher Scheme
Save up to £904 per parent,
per year. Quote: S462321D.
Tel: 0800 612 9015
Visit: www.kiddivouchers.com
Disability Helpline
For disability-related issues.
Tel: 0800 028 6142 or through
RNID Typetalk and BT Text Direct.
Email: disability.helpline@
royalmail.com
HELP
Free 24-hour independent and confidential
advice for colleagues.
Tel: 0800 688 8777
POOBI
Financial help for hard-pressed employees
with children.
Tel: 0207 239 2295
Visit: www.poobi.org
Rowland Hill Fund
For those in financial hardship.
Tel: 0800 688 8777
Visit: www.rowlandhillfund.org
Volunteer/fundraiser support
For colleagues raising charity cash or
volunteering.
Tel: 0151 284 1221
Get a £10 Boots voucher when you join the Simply Cash Plan 1
Call us free on 0800 731 3486 quoting LV2007
or visit www.simplyhealth.co.uk/royalmail
The Simply Cash Plan gives you money back on three important
areas of your everyday health up to your annual limits:
Checks ups, such as hygienist visits, dental checks and sight tests
Treatment, such as fillings, new glasses and physiotherapy
Emergencies, if you need to stay in hospital
You can claim straight away for the majority of benefits!
• Up to 100% cash back on your dental and optical bills, up to annual limits
• Up to 18 everyday healthcare benefits covered such as physiotherapy, chiropractic treatment, hospital stays and lots more…
• No medical or GP referral needed
• You could also cover up to four children, who live with you and are under 18, for no extra cost!
www.simplyhealth.co.uk/socialmedia
1202030
1
A £10 Boots voucher will be sent to every new Simplyhealth customer who pays for their plan/s via their wage and who joins the Simply Cash Plan between 1 March and 31 March 2012. The
voucher will usually be distributed within 28 days of receipt of the first premium. Acceptance as a member and cover under our policies is subject to Simplyhealth’s usual terms and conditions.
Simplyhealth reserves the right to alter, cancel or withdraw the promotion. Cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. Promoter: Simplyhealth
Terms and Conditions apply. Simplyhealth is a trading name of Simplyhealth Access, registered and incorporated in England and Wales, no.183035. Registered office: Hambleden House,
Waterloo Court, Andover, Hampshire SP10 1LQ. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. Your calls may be recorded and monitored for training and quality assurance purposes.

20 March 2012
courier@abcomm.co.uk
letterbox
All letters printed win a £25 One4All gift card,
with a £50 gift card for each month’s star letter.
smart ideas or not?
Nice to see the use of QR codes
in Courier, making it easy for
smartphone users to have a more
in-depth read.
We could really do with having them
put on the top right hand corner of
the P739 cards. This way, customers
with smartphones could scan the
code, which brings them straight to
the Royal Mail website to manage their
redeliveries.
Paul Quinn, Coventry South delivery
office
I have just received my February 2012
issue of Courier and I am somewhat
disappointed.
I found at least eight stories that
have QR codes I need to scan with
a smartphone to read the full story.
However, I do not own a smartphone, so
I feel I am missing out on these stories just
because I choose not to not to have the
most up-to-date mobile phone.
Also, can you please explain why the
letters page has been reduced to a single
page of Courier, with an eighth of the
page given up to make room for a joke.
I am quite happy to read a joke or two,
but I find it hard to believe that only three
questions were asked by the thousands of
employees working for Royal Mail.
Duncan Cawthorne, Soham,
Cambridgeshire
cartoon corner
star
letters
Courier replies:
QR codes are a popular device used in many
magazines and in advertising. They also mean readers
can choose to find out more about a story if they like,
without having to read lots of text on the page.
However, people without smartphones needn’t
miss out. The codes scan to www.myroyalmail.com
where the longer versions are shown.
Duncan – the letters section is currently one page
purely because of the demand for space in Courier.
We’ve recently reduced the number of pages from
28 to 20 to reduce costs. You’re right – we receive
far more letters each month than we could possibly
include, but every letter we receive is read and
considered, and we try to include as many as we can.
John Rowley, product manager –
regulated products, consumer and
network access, adds:
We are currently looking at ways we can use QR
codes to improve the customer experience. Paul –
your suggestion to include them on delivery cards is
an excellent one and we plan to look at this soon.
Not miles
better?
Matt Shippam, postman of Bognor Regis,
was right when he said that Royal Mail is
obsessed with figures – we all know it’s
about profit, not service any more.
In the January issue, a small piece
boasts that single deck trailers are being
replaced with 75, 92 and 98 stack
trailers, reducing our impact
on the
environment!
Reading
between
the lines, it
means that
the drivers
now have
to unload
double the
quantity (oh, but mail volumes are
dropping).
Also, if the company is genuine about
the environment and insisting that mail
volumes are down, why are delivery
postmen getting vans to do their rounds
instead of bikes? How many of the ‘saved’
seven million miles done by trucks are ‘lost’
due to the mileage of extra small vans?
Kim Pannell, Driver, Chelmsford, Essex
LETTERBOX
LETTERBOX
Email courierletters@abcomm.co.uk,
write to Courier letters,
24-26 Great Suffolk Street,
Email
courierletters@abcomm.co.uk
write to Courier letters,
24-26 Great Suffolk Street,
LONDON SE1 0UE
TEXT COURIER TO 80800
(MAX 160 CHARACTERS)
Please include your home address
with your letter
Trolley good
I’ve read about a lot of postmen saying their
mail bags are getting bigger, yet Royal Mail
says mail volumes have fallen.
As a postman on a walk, I can see that mail
volumes are down from what they used to be;
however, my mail bag is bigger and more bags
used, because as packets have increased our
bags have become fuller and heavier.
That’s why Royal Mail has issued us with
trolleys, so we do not have to carry the post.
Also, you can fit a lot more items in them,
but I notice a lot of postmen and women do
not want to use the trolley for whatever reason.
As the industry changes, we must adapt.
Royal Mail sees that and issues us with
the correct equipment, so we need to use
the equipment as mail volumes change
(decrease) but packets increase.
We as postmen need to change from the
way we used to do the job to the way we
now need to do the job. I can tell you for a
fact that using the trolley is a lot easier than
carrying a heavy mail bag.
Thomas Povilaitis (pictured), Skipton
delivery office, North Yorkshire
Daniel O’Donnell, assets lead – delivery
programmes, replies:
On the face of it, swapping cycles for vans does not
look environmentally sound.
However, it’s important to remember that every
cycle delivery needs vehicles to support it – to
provide postmen and women with replenishment
pouches of mail, and to deliver their bulkier items. So,
while we are introducing new vehicles, we are also
eliminating the use of many support vehicles, which
tend to be larger, older and therefore produce more
carbon emissions.
The
investment in
new vans and
the massive
reduction in
cycle routes is
part of a wider
project that will
also stop the use
of thousands of
private cars on
deliveries. It was
common for postmen and women to use cars, and
these obviously emit sizeable carbon emissions.
The new fleet Royal Mail is deploying on delivery
routes conforms to the latest legislation on energy
emissions – something the many thousands of private
cars used on deliveries do not.
So the influx of the new energy-efficient Royal Mail
vans is balanced by removing the large vans supporting
cycle and foot walks, and private cars.