Postman Pat is back in town!

At the beginning of June, Her Worship the Mayor of Hertford, Councillor Mrs Beryl Wrangles, officially welcomed Pat to his new home in the Hertford Post Office & UOE Store in Maidenhead Street.

After what turned out to be a surprisingly fun rescue mission to liberate the NSPCC’s Postman Pat collecting tin from the old Post Office building, Mrs Wrangles cut the ribbon and officially welcomed Pat to his new home. Then she invited people to empty their pockets and start the collection!

Pat’s welcome committee was led by Norma Alcock MBE, the President of the North & East Hertfordshire branch of the NSPCC, along with other volunteers including Martin Alcock, without whose heroic actions Pat would still be languishing in the old building, UOE’s MD & Hertford’s Postmaster Elliot Jacobs, and local toddlers, including the Mayor’s great grandson, who took part in a colouring competition to win a cuddly Jess toy.

All’s well that ends well

Martin Alcock reflected on his achievement in finally rescuing Pat. “Moving Pat from the old Post Office to the new one should have been a straightforward task, but it wasn’t! However, it was absolutely worth the effort, and it was so rewarding to send out an email to all the many people who’d got involved in the mission to let them know Pat is now back home, and to thank them for their help.”

Elliot Jacobs said: “One of UOE’s main tenets is that the Post Office is the hub of the local community, and supporting charities is a great way of demonstrating this. That’s why I was so enthusiastic to rehome the NSPCC’s collection box when Martin got in touch to ask if we would be happy to display it. And it’s also lovely to have Pat back where he belongs.”

Pat will now be a permanent fixture by the letterbox at the front of the queue for the Post Office counters, so don’t forget to donate a few pennies next time you’re sending a parcel!

Volunteering for the NSPCC

Norma Alcock, who was awarded her MBE by the Queen last October as thanks for her 40 years’ work as an NSPCC volunteer, hoped that Pat would not only raise more money for the charity, but also encourage more people to volunteer. “We used to have lots of volunteers, but as they get older they can’t carry on and sadly, they’re not being replaced by younger people. We principally need volunteers to organise fundraising events. They can be small events that don’t need a lot of commitment, such as tea and cakes for family and friends or standing with a collecting tin outside supermarkets. I know how busy everyone is these days, but I’d love to see the younger generation getting more involved. I’ve found that through volunteering for charity you get to meet lots of lovely people … including the Queen!”

If you are interested in helping to fundraise for the NSPCC in Hertfordshire, contact Norma on 01438 367540 or email her at norma@castlecottage.co