Saturday - Post Office rally

Campaigners from across East and West Sussex, Kent, Surrey and part of Hampshire will gather outside the village Post Office to present a united front as the future of the network is debated by the Government.

The rally will be one of 13 taking place across the UK to mark National Post Office Week.

Organised by the Countryside Alliance, in partnership with several agencies, it will include representatives from Help The Aged, the Communication Workers Union and the RNIB, under the umbrella group Future For Our Post Office.

John Mainwood, who jointly runs Sedlescombe Village Stores and Post Office with wife Jennie, said: "It's to raise awareness that we are in consultation with the government on the future of the Post Office network.

"This is not just a localised thing - they have organised 13 of these across the country.

"Hopefully we will get people coming here from all over the south east.

"It's getting quite a lot of interest in the village here, but that's just part of it."

He added: "We are in this consultation period until Thursday, March 8, then the Government is going to announce what it's plans are.

"This rally is to let the Government know the strength of feeling, especially in the countryside. We need to make sure there's a network maintained to benefit as many people as possible."

Bexhill and Battle MP Greg Barker will address the rally.

National Post Office Week included a mass rally and lobby of Parliament on Tuesday.