Milton view Moving with the times
Dear editor, At Royal Mail we never forget that we form an essential part of the UK’S social fabric.
We know our postmen and postwomen are valued members of the local community as they deliver letters and parcels six days a week - in all weathers.
We’re also continually looking to make our services even better to give customers greater convenience as they shop online.
I’d like to make your readers aware of a few changes to their doorstep deliveries so there are no surprises.
Customers expecting tracked items from large retailers are among those to benefit from these changes. If they are not at home when we deliver, they’ll now receive email/sms notifications on the whereabouts of their delivery.
For customers who have provided their contact details, the notifications will confirm when their items have been delivered to a neighbour, as well as specify the neighbour’s address.
The “Something for You” card is also going digital, making it easier for customers to retrieve their item if they are not at home when we deliver. Email and SMS notifications will let customers either re-arrange their parcel delivery for another day or collect their item from their local Customer Service Point using relevant identification.
Customers will no longer need to go home to collect the physical card - which we’ll continue to post through letter boxes.
And finally customers taking prepaid parcels (including returns) to selected Royal Mail Customer Service Points will receive an acceptance scan as soon as they drop off their item thanks to new scanning technology.
We hope that these changes bring greater levels of convenience, and wish all your readers hours of happy online shopping!
Gerry Mcauley Delivery director Dear editor, Just after her first birthday, my daughter Shakeerah was diagnosed with a brain tumour. She wasn’t expected to survive.
Shakeerah is now six. She’s a bundle of joy but her disability has impacted on almost every area of our lives.
She has a tracheostomy, uses a ventilator overnight, is fed through a plastic tube in her tummy, and bears scars around her head from numerous operations (45 and counting).
I didn’t think about carers before Shakeerah came along. Never would I have imagined how complicated it is, or how relentless the battle for support is.
On top of the 24/7 care, endless appointments, and military planning needed to master medication timetables, equipment and or even leaving the house, there are a plethora of forms to complete, referrals and regulations to navigate.
Although councils have a duty to provide care for disabled children and their families, budget cuts mean these services are harder to find. Yet they are our lifeline!
Short breaks provide children like my daughter with a safe environment, allowing her to interact with other children and participate in activities tailored to her abilities.
Shakeerah comes home with biscuits she’s decorated, plants she’s potted, and a huge grin. And I feel recharged and ready for the next challenge.
We need your help. The Children’s Trust, the charity that provides Shakeerah with short breaks, has launched the Little Break Appeal.
Please help us raise £100,000 to ensure that families get the support they desperately need.
You can donate online www. thechildrenstrust.org.uk. Thank you.
Yasmeen Crowther via The Children’s Trust