Royal Mail Courier Spring 2021

Dedicated to building trust on the doorstep

Update | Inspire | Celebrate

BEHIND THE MASK

@myroyalmailuk

myroyalmail.com

@myroyalmailuk

The inside stories of life on the pandemic frontline

SPRING 2021 The Big Feature

Destination: Stansted

CEO Simon on A flying visit how we deliver to our Essex doorstep trust air hub crew

Our history

The women who made Royal Mail

WIN! £200 in Not on the High Street gift vouchers

YOUR MY BUNDLE+

SPRING TECHNOLOGY BENEFIT

• National ational Insurance savings • No credit checks or deposits • • Extended xtended warranty and/or insurance • Spread the cost over two years •

Celebrating 5 years of My Bundle+ – win Apple AirPods Pro Simply log in to My Bundle+, access your Technology or Smartphone Benefit and click on the prize draw tile before 30th April 2021* 2021

Order online anytime through your My Bundle+ technology benefit at:

mybundleplus.myroyalmail.com

*Full terms and conditions are available on the prize draw site.

SPRING 2021

WELCOME SPRING 2021 COVER Stephen Charlesworth photographed for Courier on 11 February 2021 at Warrington Mail Centre.

Stephen appears on the cover alongside (clockwise from top left) Warrington colleague Sajid Mehmood, Merthyr postman Ian Cleary and RMtv presenter Laura Craig from Barnoldswick Delivery Office.

GET IN TOUCH Share your feedback and stories.

CALL 0800 7922 5673 EMAIL courier@linney.com WRITE Courier, Linney Create, Adamsway, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire NG18 4FW TEAM Paul Smith – Editor at Royal Mail Damon Parkin – Editor at Linney Create PRINTING PCP, Haldane, Halesfield 1, Telford, Shropshire TF7 4QQ MAILING MAMS, 4 Middleton Grove, Leeds LS11 5BX DISTRIBUTION To notify HR of a change of address, employees should email HRSC.Personal.Data@royalmail.com or write to The HR Service Centre, Pond Street, Sheffield S98 6HR Pensioners should write to: Pensions Services Centre, PO Box 5863, HRSC, Pond Street, Sheffield S98 6AB ADVERTISING To advertise in the next edition of Courier, email royalmailadvertising@linney.com for details of availability, suitability and rates. Courier is delivered to c.134,000 homes four times a year.

We have an exciting future – and a lot to do together Team, I am writing this note at the start of my ninth week as the CEO. Based on the last few weeks, I am convinced we have a very exciting future.

Every Thursday, I am in the operation talking and listening to the team, asking them what we should do better. And the ideas just keep coming. Thank you. Once the Covid situation improves, I will be visiting the teams in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.

This coming Thursday I am going to see what it is like to be a DOM for a day, by work-shadowing Angelica in our Wimbledon office. I am sure I will learn a lot… let’s hope I don’t get in Angelica’s way too much.

We had our first Trust Survey last month. A big thank you to the 22,224 colleagues who gave us their views. It is invaluable feedback. In summary: 80% of you are proud to wear the badge, but only 36% of you feel valued; only 34% of you feel involved in decisions that impact you; and 39% of you trust senior leadership – or, put another way, 85,000 of you do not trust senior management.

The results might not be surprising to you, but to me they were a big shock. I always felt there was a problem – there is. I am pleased to report that Quality

OWNING TRUST AT THE DOORSTEP IS A MAGICAL COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE.

of Service is starting to improve, a big achievement when we consider the impacts of Covid-19, the weather and increased volumes. On the last point, I do think we need to get much better at accurately forecasting demand so the operational teams can better prepare.

We have won another contract from the Department of Health & Social Care on the back of the brilliant service delivering Covid-19 testing kits seven days a week.

Society trusts us to undertake these vital services. It makes me feel very proud, I am sure you feel the same.

We are also innovating. In parts of London, the South East and Leeds we are trialling same-day prescription deliveries – or, as I put it, ‘instant pain relief’ – and also have a T24 nationwide Sunday delivery service starting very soon.

Owning trust at the doorstep is a magical competitive advantage, and by being brilliant for our customers and having trusted relationships across the business, I am sure we will continue to not only grow our business but also start to win more market share.

The best companies win market share, I am sure we can do the same.

SIMON THOMPSON CEO Royal Mail

Some photographs in this edition were taken before the business implemented the standard to wear face coverings indoors.

myroyalmail.com

3

THIS ISSUE

AT A GLANCE

Welcome 14 THOMPSON TOURS We join CEO Simon on his road trip to meet Royal Mail’s frontline teams and explore the ways we’re delivering trust on the doorstep.

34 FIRST-CLASS FEMALES We mark International Women’s History Month by celebrating figures who’ve put their stamp on our business over the centuries.

ION: STANSTE

30

DEST

I

NAT

D

Hope springs eternal. As we find ourselves in the second season of the year, we all wish for a brighter future.

That rings true for the country and our exit from the worst of the pandemic. And in business terms, there are real signs of promising times ahead as our transformation gathers pace.

We want to reflect that optimism within Courier. It was fantastic to read your feedback on our first new-look issue – both good and bad (mostly the former, thankfully). We share some of your views on pages 38 and 39.

But, like our business, standing still is not an option for the Courier team.

We know improvements can be made.

Courier is a publication for our people and your feedback is essential. So, scan the QR code on page 43 and share your thoughts for the chance to win a prize.

One addition to this issue is our editorial panel. It’s currently made up of five posties and they’re helping shape what you’re reading to foster that crucial peer-to-peer approach. They also chose this edition’s striking cover. Spot their stories throughout the magazine and drop me a line if you’d like to join them.

DESTINATION: STANSTED There’s something in the air as we spend a night in the life of Royal Mail’s Stansted crew keeping the mail flying through our network.

PAUL SMITH Editor paul.smith9@royalmail.com

4

Spring 2021

COU

RIER SPRING 2

SPEAK UP UPDATE There are new contact details for Royal Mail’s Speak Up helpline (available 24 hours a day, seven days a week). You can now visit royalmail.gan-compliance.com/p/speakup or call 0800 090 3154.

Add the number to your phone’s address book and look out for more in the summer edition of Courier.

02

1

E DI T OR I A L P A GROUND FORCE We hit the streets on a Royal Mail mission to help protect communities under threat from virus spikes.

36 SOMETHING FOR YOU

WIN!

26 TALES OF A ROCK STAR POSTIE Chris Robbins on his journey from globetrotting musician to Bradford postman.

USING QR CODES Use your smart device’s camera to scan codes throughout this edition of Courier for more features and interviews.

iPhone users with iOS 11 or later Open your camera app, frame the QR code and tap the link. Earlier versions of iOS may require a QR reader app.

Android users If your device doesn’t have a builtin QR reader, download and open a QR reader app and point your camera at the code.

E DI T OR I A L PA NE L

E DI T OR I A L P A NE L

Win Only Fools and Horses Special Stamps, notonthehighstreet vouchers and One4all gift cards.

E DI T OR I A L P A NE L

10

E DI T OR I A L PA NE L

IT’S BEEN INSPIRING TO SEE HOW DEDICATED OUR PEOPLE HAVE BEEN THROUGH MAJOR ADVERSITY.

THIS ISSUE

EDITORIAL PANEL Meet Team Courier Introducing our Editorial Panel – Royal Mail people from across the UK sharing feedback, ideas and articles for our spring and summer editions.

Paul Simons I joined Royal Mail as a telegram boy after school and returned to the business 21 years ago. I’m now a postie at Bootle Delivery Office. I’ll bring a can-do attitude to my role with Courier and have posed a PDA question on page 19.

Kamil Sterniczuk I want to bring my experience and perspective of life as a Polishborn postie working at Stafford Delivery Office. I’m sharing my thoughts on the differences between the Polish postal service and Royal Mail on page 39.

Paul Stewart As a friendly, outgoing personality who loves to be in the middle of everything, I just had to be involved with the Courier team. I’ve been with Royal Mail in Hampshire for over 20 years. There’s more from me on page 41.

Laura Cornish As a mum of three young daughters and a part-time postwoman at Mossley Hill, in Liverpool, I want Courier to represent people like me. Royal Mail’s growing female workforce deserves a publication that’s engaging, real and relevant to us. I’ve written about that on page 35.

Chris Robbins I love to write. When learning how to write, you’re often taught: write what you know. I don’t know much, but I know all too well the ups and downs of being a Bradford postie. Read my story on page 25.

COURIER CATCH-UP Browse previous issues at myroyalmail.com/ courier or by scanning the QR code.

This edition will appear online around three weeks after it’s been delivered. myroyalmail.com

5

THE BEAUTIFUL SOUTH Photographer Peter Cripps recreates his stunning shot of the scenic South Downs National Park that appears on a First Class stamp. Peter’s original image is among a collection of photographs on 10 Special Stamps marking 70 years since the opening of the first National Parks. Peter re-shot his stamp scene exclusively for Courier on 5 February 2021. This reinterpretation captures Jason Bond from Seaford Delivery Office on his round in Cuckmere Haven. The backdrop of the bay includes the Seven Sisters cliffs and the historic Coastguard Cottages, which have featured in TV series Luther and blockbuster film Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. The cottages remain in danger of being swept away by coastal erosion unless sea defences are shored up.

6

Spring 2021

SPRING 2021

THE BIG PICTURE

myroyalmail.com

7

GOOD TO KNOW

ROUND-UP Feedback fuels van revamp Feedback from Royal Mail drivers on the performance of a prototype electric van has been built into a production model that we’re now putting through its paces.

A larger load space is among modifications proposed to London Electric Vehicle Company’s VN5 by our drivers trialling the van in Derby, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Leeds.

They’re hitting the road again to test-drive the Royal Mail-branded production models.

COUNTER CULTURE

MILESTONE MOMENT

BRAND BOOST

Customers can access our services at Post Office branches until at least 2032 as part of a new deal.

We’ve surpassed one million parcels collected using our Parcel Collect service, which launched in October.

Royal Mail was named 2020’s sixth best brand in YouGov’s annual ranking of top UK organisations.

Share your views to make a difference Our annual Employee Survey, which launches this month, is your opportunity to feedback on what it’s like to work at Royal Mail. All feedback is confidential and everyone is encouraged to answer honestly.

“Please take the opportunity to get involved and share your views,” says general counsel and interim chief HR officer Matt Newman. “It would be great to hear from as many of you as possible. Your voice is valued and we’re listening. So, tell us what matters

most to you so we can work together to shape and action the changes that are important to you.”

Complete the survey online between 19 April and 9 May.

Join the conversation We’re making Workplace available to everyone. Share your views, engage with colleagues and hear directly from senior leaders.

Designed to look and behave like Facebook, you’ll access the Workplace app on your phone.

It will become the go-to channel for updates on our business and people. Look out for sign-up details soon.

8

Spring 2021

ISLE OF FLIGHT A Royal Mail-branded drone lands on the Isle of Mull after its maiden voyage as part of a pilot project to deliver a fast and convenient service to remote rural residents. Alexa Kershaw, at Rubha nan Gall Lighthouse Cottage, was the first to receive a piece of pioneering air mail. Scan the QR code to follow the drone’s journey.

GOOD TO KNOW

ROUND-UP

TEST KIT PILOT

Sheffield team is a rapid response unit Regular rapid Covid-19 tests being piloted at Sheffield City Delivery Office and Birmingham Mail Centre are providing peace of mind for our people – and their families.

The programme, in partnership with the Government, means team members without virus symptoms are tested twice a week and discover their results within 30 minutes.

At Sheffield City, between 40-50 colleagues are screened each day. CWU area rep Andrew Kipling is part of the team that tests the Sheffield City samples.

“Each one displays a minus sign for negative, a plus for positive or a ‘V’ if it’s void,” explained Andrew. “I check the result and pass it to the recording station before it’s shared with the NHS.” Sheffield City DOM Darren Hodson said: “It has the potential to break the chains of infection and is helping us operate more effectively with the confidence that we’re safe both at work and when we go home.”

From 22 March, Royal Mail and Parcelforce units within the CM, CO, IP, SS and NR postcode areas, as well as St Albans, can take part in a pilot of home self-testing using lateral flow device tests.

This covers 100 units, and 6,500 employees and is fully supported by CWU and Unite.

WATCH Scan the code for an RMtv film about the Sheffield City pilot and vaccination letter deliveries.

496m 11.7m 32% Parcels handled – the busiest quarter for parcels in our history

Parcels delivered on our busiest day...

more than our busiest day during the first national lockdown

228m

Parcels delivered by GLS – a growth of 27%

Our Q3 results: The numbers behind our record-breaking performance between October and December 2020 – the busiest period for parcels in our history.

Visit myroyalmail.com for the latest news myroyalmail.com

9

THE BIG STORY

LOCAL OUTBREAK PLANS

Inside the outbreak

We join our Covid crews in Luton and Merthyr Tydfil working with local councils to contain the virus and protect the vulnerable.

From the first pandemic lockdown a year ago, to today’s battle to contain the outbreak of new coronavirus variants, Royal Mail has kept our nation connected and protected in a time of crisis.

Our people have become familiar faces providing extra care, smiles and reassurance for their communities.

Crucially, we’ve helped the UK stay safe.

We set up a home collection service for Covid-19 test kits within days and developed a network of priority postboxes. Our bespoke weekend collection service, which launched

10

Spring 2021

in November, means we now collect the kits seven days a week.

But a spike in cases concentrated in particular areas demands a more tailored response. Councils often activate a bespoke outbreak plan in an attempt to contain the virus on a localised level – and our people are playing a mission-critical role.

Project manager David Wright has been at the heart of the programme throughout and has encountered the passion and commitment of our colleagues.

“The business has responded to the needs

THERE HAS BEEN SOME PRESSURE TO DELIVER AND A REAL SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY. of our customers,” said David. “During the busiest period of our careers, the attitude of our teams everywhere has been first class.

“It’s been inspiring to see how dedicated our people have been throughout a period of major adversity.”

Courier hit the streets of Luton and Merthyr Tydfil to meet frontline posties on urgent assignments to help combat coronavirus spikes in their regions.

RED-LETTER DAY It’s Friday 15 January and Luton postman Ejaz Shamim sets out on his round to deliver vital mail to vulnerable residents,

Looking out for Luton Our Luton team joined a mass outbreak operation in the Bedfordshire town of Luton, where a new variant of the virus swept through the community in January.

The local council’s outbreak plan, launched to suppress the spread, involved a total of 2,900 letters sent to homes during a single-day drop on Friday 15 January. It urged residents to take a test to help contain the spread.

“People are certainly more cautious and are being forced to stay at home,” said postman Paul Headley, part of the Royal Mail team that delivered the crucial correspondence. “It’s nice to be able to play a part.

We just hope it makes a difference.”

Postman Ejaz Shamim added: “There has been some pressure to deliver and a real sense of responsibility – it’s a very important letter.”

Councillor Khtija Malik, portfolio holder for Public Health at Luton Council, said: “We are grateful for the role Royal Mail has played in helping with this pilot project – an important part of the response to the current public health emergency which has been caused by the spread of Covid-19. Testing for the virus is absolutely vital in the fight to control its spread.

With more testing we are better able to isolate cases, stop the spread and protect Luton residents.”

BOOTS ON THE GROUND Paul Headley loads his van ahead of the single-day letter drop,

myroyalmail.com

11

THE BIG STORY

LOCAL OUTBREAK PLANS Merthyr’s pride The response in Merthyr Tydfil focused on identifying and prioritising members of the community classed as ‘vulnerable’. This meant that around 5,000 letters were sent to residents at specific addresses across the region advising them to take a test.

This additional workload came in the second week of December – piling on the pressure during an already intense Christmas peak.

Across a week, a small team from Merthyr Tydfil Delivery Office volunteered to begin their shift at 4am to sort the items and ensure that the letters from the Pontypridd office were also ready for delivery.

I SPENT A FULL FIVE MONTHS IN LOCKDOWN LAST YEAR AND DIDN’T SEE ANYONE APART FROM NEIGHBOURS. Postman Ian Cleary said: “Merthyr seems to have a bad reputation in the media – and we wanted to show the strength of our community spirit.

“During lockdown, we’ve become a bridge connecting our community.

We’re the only people some of our older, vulnerable customers see on a day-to-day basis. I stop, have a chat and help if I can.

“Everyone in our office is always happy to go above and beyond for Merthyr. It’s a terrible time and we want to make a real difference.”

12

Spring 2021

One of the many Merthyr residents benefiting from Ian and the team’s commitment to deliver more than just mail is 92-year-old customer, Mair Attwood.

“I spent a full five months in lockdown last year and apart from my neighbours, who did my shopping for me, I didn’t see anyone,” said Mair.

“I’ve found it difficult and Ian has been kind enough to ask me how I’m managing. He said he’d bring me some masks as I didn’t have any. Sometimes people say things and they don’t always materialise but, a couple of days later, he posted them through my door. It was so kind. I made sure to thank him personally a few days later. He was so helpful.”

TRUST ON THE DOORSTEP Merthyr postman Ian Cleary checks in on 92-year-old customer Mair Attwood.

HANDLED WITH CARE Michael Flood is part of a dedicated team making sure the test kits flow through the system.

Warrington warriors Mass testing was first deployed in the Liverpool region during November, when cases of the virus spiked, and the area was placed under tier three restrictions.

Delivering this programme had significant implications at Warrington Mail Centre with an average of 5,000 test kits collected and returned to the laboratory on a daily basis.

A secure Covid-19 room was set up at the mail centre with a dedicated team responsible for managing the flow of the kits to minimise disruption to the rest of the team, and wider operation.

COVER STAR Ian and his fellow Merthyr postmen and women are going above and beyond for their community.

Michael Flood, who has been working in the Covid-19 secure hub, said: “I’ve taken pride in helping the process along and ensuring the test kits move efficiently along their journey.

“It’s worked to have a dedicated team managing this process as we’ve known exactly what to do and been able to treat the kits as priority because

LOREM IPSUM Enem quam aut omnitis inullam alis molorrumqui volorrovid maxim dolupti scimil mintotatios dendam, nobit, Enem quam aut omnitis inullam.

they’ve been going through the system since November.”

Elsewhere across the site, other Covid-19 precautions include face masks, gloves, handwashing regimes, social distancing and separate one-person bullrings. Hourly PA announcements remind people to stay aware and alert to the risks of spreading the virus.

Workplace coach Paul Faragher has taken a lead role in training new casual colleagues, and has put together a booklet to help them understand what is required.

“The extra work came at a difficult time of year but the whole team has been flexible and accommodating because of the importance of the issue,” said Paul.

“This is a bad time for people across all walks of life and we’re lucky to still have a job. So, we’ve just adopted an attitude of doing our best to deliver.”

myroyalmail.com

13

THE BIG FEATURE

SIMON THOMPSON

RO

TR

RSTEP

UND T

UST ON TH E

O DO

RIP

CEO Simon Thompson hits the road to learn from our frontline teams as we map out a future built on doorstep trust, customer needs and business growth.

14

Spring 2021

Simon will visit teams in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales once travel restrictions due to Covid-19 permit.

The challenge for me and my team is how we turn ideas into action.

THE JO U

R NE

H

Y SO FAR

WA TC

HE RE

1

Cobham Delivery Office 13 January

6 4

3

Trust on the doorstep Three days into his new role as our UK CEO, Simon spent time on delivery with Cobham postman Dave Field. They spoke about what our customers want and the importance of trust on the doorstep.

“Today was about understanding our customers’ needs for 2021 and beyond,” said Simon. “Next we’ll focus on how we have trusting relationships up and down the country – at all levels and between all of us. My third focus is about growth.

That’s not just about how we grow the business, but how we grow our market share and introduce new services, so we can actually grow the market.”

2 1 5 THOMPSON’S TOUR Scan the QR codes to join Simon on a voyage of discovery as he shares his reflections of encounters with Royal Mail people across the country.

myroyalmail.com

15

2

Wimbledon Delivery Office 22 January

Being a DOM

FOUNDATIONS FOR THE FUTURE Simon visits our Midlands Hub in Daventry due to open in 2023.

H

HE RE

Norwich Delivery Office, Parcelforce Norwich and Norwich Mail Centre 4 February

Birmingham Mail Centre, Stafford Delivery Office and Midlands Hub 11 February

Prioritising PDAs

Quality of Service

As his first month in the role came to an end, Simon reminded colleagues to follow the Hands, Face, Space message after spending his own time in isolation. It was revealed the business has been sending out new PDAs and replacement batteries across the operation, after problems with the PDAs became one of the biggest talking points through Your View.

“The amount of feedback I have had on PDAs just keeps growing and growing.

We’re going to fix the PDAs. I’ve told the team that we’re not going to spend one penny more on them until the frontline convinces me they’re fit for purpose.”

With Quality of Service levels falling, Simon shared an electronic tool that showed how we’re doing in the eyes of customers and asked managers across the country to give a local view to all colleagues ‘so we can all work together’. Simon had his first look as construction of our Midlands Hub ramps up, where one million parcels a day will be processed when the site goes live.

“Recently, we haven’t always been at our best – and it’s not through a lack of effort, which I really appreciate. Because of the extraordinary volumes, Covid-19 absence and, at times, challenging weather, we haven’t been as great as we normally are.”

3

4

WA TC H

HE RE

16

Spring 2021

RE

WA TC

HE

I’ve been really keen to understand what it’s like to be a delivery office manager – and it’s tough.

WA TC H

In his second week, Simon visited Angelica Wallace, delivery office manager at Wimbledon, to discuss what it’s like to be a DOM and how to maintain Quality of Service performance in challenging circumstances. With the Your View channel now launched, Simon went through some of the early suggestions being sent to him by colleagues.

“I’ve been really keen to understand what it’s like to be a delivery office manager – and it’s tough. But even with challenges, Angelica and her team are back on top of their Quality of Service. Meanwhile, there have been more than 300 suggestions shared by colleagues so far. The challenge for me and my team is how we turn ideas into action.”

THE BIG FEATURE

SIMON THOMPSON WA TC H

Winton Delivery Office, Dorset Mail Centre, Parcelforce Poole and Southampton Mail Centre 24 February

HE

5

RE

Action at a local level Simon visited a brand-new delivery office and a mail centre with a revised layout before investigating an internal logistics programme under way at Southampton as colleagues await a parcel sorting matchine. He gathered the thoughts of many colleagues and their various challenges as he completed his second month as CEO. “We’ve had more than 200 pages of feedback now. How do we turn feedback into action? We can’t do it centrally, we have to do it by allowing the front end of the business to do what they feel is right.”

COBHAM KICK-OFF Simon began his tour by spending a day on a round with Surrey postman Dave Field.

Uniform improvements Simon revealed that PDAs, uniform, vans and the state of delivery offices are the most commented topics being raised.

With PDA improvements implemented, Simon visited Skipton Delivery Office to see how our new uniform trial is landing with colleagues. Making sure feedback is acted upon – as it has been with PDAs and uniform, so far – is a challenge Simon and his leadership team are taking on.

“It’s really important that our uniforms look great for customers and feel good for our people because if you want to win, you need to look like you’re winning. When we’re on that doorstep delivering that great trust, I think how we look is a really positive element of giving the customers the feeling we really want them to have about us.”

WA TC H

HE RE

When we’re on that doorstep delivering that great trust, I think how we look is a really positive element.

Skipton Delivery Office and Leeds Mail Centre 25 February

6

YORKSHIRE TRAIL Checking out our new uniforms in Skipton. myroyalmail.com

17

TRUST

Questions of Trust

Simon reflects on the results of February’s Trust Survey.

In February, we launched our first Trust Survey which asked everyone for their views about working for Royal Mail. Thank you to everyone who took part – over 22,000 of you completed the survey which has provided great insight into what it’s like working for Royal Mail Group.

While it was amazing to see the level of pride within the organisation, with 80% saying you feel proud to work for Royal Mail Group, there are also a number of areas where people feel less positive. In particular, only 34% said you feel involved in decisions that affect you at work and only 36% feel valued by this company.

I now want to work with you to directly address the feedback you have provided.

Together, we can make Royal Mail a better place to work.

URVEY S T T S U R T R SAID...

OUR T

22,224

35,000

36% 18

colleagues took part

comments were shared

80%

of us feel proud to work for Royal Mail...

...BUT ONLY

feel valued by this company

Spring 2021

Understand and Uniforms and PDAs are dominating debate on Simon Thompson’s Your View channel.

So, how is the business responding?

Inviting feedback to understand your issues means the business can take action. Updating our uniforms and upgrading our PDAs are key topics for hundreds of Royal Mail people sharing their thoughts with CEO Simon Thompson. Courier asked two posties for their views and reveals how the business has responded.

Our uniform Postman George Otieno from Skipton Delivery Office: “Wear and tear is an issue. I go through trousers and shoes every few months. In my job, 80% is spent walking, so our uniform must be comfortable and sustainable. It’s crucial that we look professional and our uniform is a big part of that. It’s the most visible element of Royal Mail.”

What we’re doing: Since February, more than 300 colleagues in a variety of roles have been taking part in a 12-week trial of new trousers and shorts, tops, jackets, gilets and headwear. Feedback will influence final designs for a new range planned for roll-out towards the end of 2021.

TAKING ACTION

YOUR VIEW

deliver Our PDAs Bootle postman and Courier Editorial Panel member Paul Simons: “My main issues with our current PDAs are their performance in wet weather and their battery life. I always have to take a spare battery on my round.”

What we’re doing: Around 35,000 new batteries were distributed across the operation in February, adding to the 25,000 delivered before Christmas – that’s most of Delivery. It’s important that old batteries are returned. A simpler fault reporting process was established with the IT helpdesk, meaning managers face just a five-minute call when logging issues. If a PDA issue is reported by 4pm, a new device will arrive the following day.

New PDAs with enhanced features based on colleague feedback will be released from this summer.

CHANGE OF CLOTHES Postwoman Rachel Woods trials our new uniform on her round in Skipton, North Yorkshire.

HAVE YOUR SAY Scan the QR code to share your ideas and comments – or visit myroyalmail.com/yourview

myroyalmail.com

19

SPRING 2021

GUY FISCHER WRITES

The border post We’re helping our customers find their feet as they step into the new world of customs processes, says Royal Mail’s international commercial director Guy Fischer.

We’re working to make sure customers know what’s needed for items to be delivered without delays.

20

Spring 2021

From 1 January, the UK has extended the rules which previously applied to non-EU postal items. Similarly, the EU now treats postal items from the UK as it did nonEU items before. It means there are changes to how our customers send and receive items from abroad.

Around 50% of the UK’s trade goes to the EU, it’s the UK’s nearest neighbour and biggest market. So as customers – both businesses and consumers – attempt to navigate the new rules, Royal Mail Group is delivering the products and trusted service to help them.

We’ve been working with our partners for a number of years to put systems in place that make sure cross-border parcels continue to flow smoothly. This is not to say there haven’t been some teething problems since January because everyone’s learning as they go.

Customers now need to complete and attach a customs declaration (CN22 or CN23) when sending goods to all destinations abroad. Some customers haven’t been doing this, leading to the items being delayed or returned. There’s a huge education piece here.

We’re working with our customers, including

through Post Office, to make sure everyone knows what’s needed for their items to be delivered without delays.

We’re also launching ‘customs-built’ products with different tax and duty payment options to make post-transition trade easier for business.

Delivery Duty Paid means the business sender covers the cost of tax and duties in advance through a Royal Mail account. Delivery Duty Unpaid requires the customer to pay the charges before delivery of the item.

When receiving items from abroad, recipients may have to pay import VAT and duties.

Royal Mail may collect these on behalf of HM Revenue & Customs. Recipients might receive a ‘Something for you’ card asking them to pay online or go to their local CSP to pay any customs’ charges.

While we all have to make changes now the UK has left the EU, Royal Mail is in great shape to keep the mail moving across the continent with products and services designed to make the process as painless as possible.

As we launch and refine our services to meet business’s export expectations, customer confidence will grow.

And, as we head into the summer, there will be fewer bumps in the road on our customers’ journeys abroad.

SPRING 2021

ACHIM DÜNNWALD WRITES

Power to the people Chief operating officer Achim Dünnwald on why a combination of innovation and local knowledge is part and parcel of a successful future.

The pandemic has moved the future forward by at least three years.

We are ushering in a new era of solidarity and productivity. The vote in favour of a framework agreement that focuses on operational change, job security, pay and our future direction means a fresh start for us all. So, it is full steam ahead at this defining moment in Royal Mail’s history.

The pandemic has moved the future forward by at least three years. The shift from letters to parcels we have experienced has accelerated.

Christmas 2020 saw us handle more parcels than at any other period in our history.

It means that we must drive innovation for our customers. Sunday services, our consumer app and in-flight redirections enhance that all-important trust on the doorstep and will help maintain our status as the UK’s number one carrier.

We will increase automation with our new North West and Midlands hubs and further parcel sorting machines in mail centres.

Dedicated parcel deliveries and technology will play a key role in making sure our business is fully prepared for – rather than overwhelmed by – rising parcel volumes in a post-pandemic world.

‘Scan in, scan out’, replacing the outdated manual approach, will make it easier to collect and analyse data, helping us organise ourselves in a fairer and more efficient way.

We are also trialling a resource scheduling tool that assesses traffic through our delivery offices and mail centres, along with the resource and skillsets available to deal with it in the best way.

But new technology alone will only take us so far on our transformation journey. It must be fuelled by people power at a local level. The spirit and intent of the agreement is about putting much of the work, decisionmaking and responsibility back where it belongs – in the hands of our local managers and CWU reps. That means unit-specific solutions for revisions, realignments and the roll-out of automation. It is about meeting our commitments to you so you can fulfil our promise to our customers.

We have hit a major milestone on our transformation journey. Teamwork will take us to the next stage.

ROAD TO TRANSFORMATION Achim makes a socially-distanced visit to ParcelForce at Camden, in London, before the current mask mandate. myroyalmail.com

21

THERE’S PLENTY HAPPENING ACROSS OUR BUSINESS – AND BEYOND. PULL OUT AND PIN UP THIS 4

Easter Sunday

5

Easter Monday

6

5-11 nity m Co mu e d Gar n Week

7

8

8-11 Masters Golf Tournament, Augusta

9

10 11

WISH YOU WERE HERE EXHIBITION

Bowel Cancer ess Awaren t Mon h 1

1-30 Parkinson’s Awareness Month

2

Good Friday

3

Oxford & Cambridge Boat Race Walk to Work Day

MAY

APR

Share your stories, photos and films on our social media channels using #RMCourier

1-30 al Nation g in Walk Month

4 May From 1 April

The Postal Museum’s new exhibition celebrates the iconic role the postcard has played in connecting people for over 150 years – from sending secret messages of love, to boosting morale for soldiers at war, to boasting from the beach.

Wish You Were Here runs from 1 April 2021 to 2 January 2022 (subject to Covid-19 restrictions).

Visit postalmuseum.org for more details.

18

19 Engagement Survey 2021 opens

18-24 English Tourism Week

20 20-25 World Immunisation Week

20-25 MS Awareness Week 21

1

Make May Purple/Action on Stroke Month

23 St George’s Day

2

World Asthma Day

3

May Bank Holiday

24

4

Star Wars Day

25 93rd Academy Awards

5

26

6

27

7

13 Ramadan begins

28 World Day for Safety and Health at Work

8

World Ovarian Cancer Day

14

29

9

15

Engagement Survey 2021 closes

30

12

22

UK Schizophrenia Awareness Day

16 17 17-22 Highland Games 17 April-3 May World Snooker Championship

UK Local Elections

4-9 Deaf ess Awaren Week

10 World Lupus Day

e 6-13 Jun e UK Bik k e e W

11 11-16 UK Dementia Action Week

11-14 UK Water Saving Week

SPRING 2021

12 Ramadan ends 13 14 15 FA Cup Final

JUN

HANDY THREE-MONTH PLANNER AND LET US KNOW HOW YOUR TEAM’S GETTING INVOLVED

Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Day

11 June11 July Euro 20 20

4

Release of The Conjuring 3

5

World Environment Day

6

6-13 UK Bike Week

23 June

7

18-24 May

8

8-13 Diabetes Awareness Week

MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS WEEK

9

Clothing Poverty Awareness Day

Royal Mail wants all colleagues to feel open about their mental health and comfortable discussing any issues. You can access First Class Support by calling 0345 266 5060 or by visiting rmgfirstclasssupport. co.uk for advice and to download the Feeling First Class app.

10

16

17 International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia

11

12 The Queen’s Birthday 13

14 World Blood Donors Day

1-30 Pr ide Month

15 15-20 Men’s Health Week 16 17 MTV Movie and TV Awards

1

18 18-23 Learning at Work Week 18-24 UK Mental Health Awareness Week

8-14 Carers’ Week

2 3

1-6 UK Volunteers Week British Soap Awards

18

22 22-27 Children’s Hospice Week 23 International Women in Engineering Day 24 Midsummer’s Day 25 26 British & Irish Lions v Japan 27

19

28 28 June-11 July The Championships, Wimbledon

20 Father’s Day

29

21 Summer Solstice

30

19 20 Royal Mail full year results 21 22 Women’s FA Cup Final 23 London Landmarks Half Marathon 24 25 International Missing Children’s Day

6 June

26 Total Lunar Eclipse 27 28 29 30 31 Spring Bank Holiday

D-DAY 77TH ANNIVERSARY The allied invasion of France on 6 June 1944 was the largest combined naval, air and land operation in the history of warfare. Code-named Operation Overlord, the allied landings on the Normandy beaches marked the start of the campaign to liberate Western Europe from Nazi occupation. On 6 June 2019, Royal Mail released a set of Special Stamps marking the 75th anniversary of D-Day.

LONG-SERVICE LANDMARKS Congratulations to Royal Mail people across the UK marking their 40th and 50th anniversaries with our business. Visit myroyalmail.com/longservice or scan the QR code for a roll of honour celebrating the dedication of our long-serving colleagues.

Feel safe and secure with our great value home insurance

For Royal Mail Group people and their partners Our Home Insurance cover includes:

 Buildings cover of up to £1,000,000  Contents cover of up to £100,000 Free home emergency cover  Standard excess £100 and £350 for  escape of water.

Plus

nterest-free direct  I



Call us for your quote

debit (0% APR) No administration charges

Call a member of our friendly Sales Team on

01622 766960 quoting ‘royalmail’

or visit www.csis.co.uk/royalmail You can also access CSIS home and car insurance via mybundleplus.myroyalmail.com Terms and conditions apply Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Home Insurance is underwritten and finance provided by Zurich Insurance plc.

The MyBundle+ Win! birthday bonanza

A Sony le PS5 conso

We’re celebrating five years of great MyBundle+ benefits, discounts and deals. Join the celebrations for the chance to win a Sony PS5 console*. Register on MyBundle+ before 30 April 2021 to be entered into the prize draw.

Already registered?

For a chance to win a pair of Apple Airpods Pro with active noise cancellation visit your Technology or Smartphone benefit. And request an electric vehicle quote from My Drive to be entered into a draw for one of two £100 Hotel Chocolat vouchers*.

Apply before 30 April 2021.

My Bundle and MyBundle+ have been delivering fantastic employee benefits for five years in April. Royal Mail people have spent £52 million and saved more than £8.5 million on purchases over the past year.

*Full T&Cs at mybundleplus.myroyalmail.com Now available on the People App!

OUR BUSINESS

REDIRECTIONS

Moving stories Redirections often involve more than a harmless house move. We must remain alert to retain trust on the doorstep.

One of the great strengths of Royal Mail is the trust our customers place in us as a business – and as individuals. They believe they can count on us.

So, it’s crucial we remain aware of the confidential data we carry – such as their financial information, medical details and other personal particulars.

Previous occupier fraud, where new residents of a property hijack the identities of occupants before them, accounted for 11% of all identity fraud in the UK in 2019 – up from 9.2% in 2017.

We’ve been offering customers our redirections service since 1895 and it remains a product that’s unique to our business. It means customers continue to receive their mail after moving home. It’s also vital protection against the threat of identity fraud.

A customer may have sensitive and personal reasons why they do not wish anyone other than Royal Mail to know where they have moved to. It’s important for us to recognise and respect this and keep the redirection information to ourselves.

“It’s a service we are paid to deliver and are expected to deliver,” says postman Tony Haas from Yate Delivery Office in Gloucestershire.

Redirections in numbers Consumer redirections processed in 2019/20:

1,353,000 940,000

410,000

NEW

RENEWALS

STREETWISE Delivering a secure redirections service is key to customer trust, says Tony Haas.

“We have to ensure complete non-disclosure of information and it’s up to us to make sure we treat every redirection as if it were sensitive.

“When you think about people’s perception of Royal Mail, trust is at the top of the list. It’s what our customers value most about us over our competitors, and we need to repay this faith in us.”

REDIRECTIONS IN ACTION

95%

of customers say it’s simple to set up

Business redirections processed in 2019/20:

33,000+

25,000

8,000

NEW

RENEWALS

495,984

Prepare with care Follow the Ops Standards guidance for redirections and take the time to deliver to the standard our customers expect.

Be sure to scan Take barcode items back to the secure locker to permit appropriate scanning.

Keep it confidential Never share redirection information with other customers and neighbours. It’s confidential in line with our RMG Information Security Classification policy for a reason, and our customers put their trust in us to keep it that way.

The need to protect our customers’ personal information is a legal requirement under the Data Protection Act 2018, which is aligned to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

calls handled in 2019/20 Photograph: Mark Kehoe

myroyalmail.com

25

MY STORY

CHRIS ROBBINS EDITORIAL PANELLIST

26

Spring 2021

The ballad of a rock star postie From globetrotting musician to coma survivor to Bradford postman. Chris Robbins shares a tale of triumph, tragedy and recovery.

Here’s where the story starts.

My parents begrudgingly buy me a bass guitar for my 14th birthday. I join a band with my best mates. We gig relentlessly, write relentlessly and, over time, become notcompletely rubbish.

We persuade Embrace keyboardist Mickey Dale to record a demo with us, in exchange for cleaning out his basement.

He joins the band. We’re Talk To Angels and we’re chugging down Route 66 on a six-week US tour, singing our songs to Americans, meeting with music producers, screaming words into hearts.

Here’s where the story almost ends.

A bandmate calls my mum. “I’m sorry, Mrs Robbins. Chris has been hit by a speeding car and it doesn’t look like he’ll survive the night.”

It’s three days later and my parents are at my hospital bed as I wake from a coma.

I’m walking within three months; holding my guitar within six. We’re grafting again – touring Europe, back in the USA. But the buzz has fizzled. Gone.

We complete our album and walk away.

I’ve lived my childhood dream. I’m only 21.

Feeling like I have nothing to live for, I’m spiralling into depression. My body hasn’t fully healed and the diagnosed ‘severe head injury’ is worse than any broken bone.

Then I meet a girl! She’s beautiful, smart, funny. She picks me up and dusts me off.

Her dad’s a postie. Here’s where the story ends: I become a postman. And a father.

I write lyrics purely for pleasure now.

I begin writing a song about that night in Illinois and, 90,000 words later, it’s in the bin. I’m rewriting it now. As a novel.

Here’s where the story starts.

LISTEN Scan the QR code to hear Talk To Angels’ album on Spotify.

I’M SORRY. CHRIS HAS BEEN HIT BY A SPEEDING CAR. We play an outdoor gig beneath a cliff in Texas, Barack Obama’s face projected onto our stage against the rock face. A man in Pennsylvania buys our $5 CD for $200. We hit Chicago for a meeting with an interested record label. We’re living the dream, man. Feeling good vibes, with the world at our feet, we cross the highway heading to our hotel.

myroyalmail.com

27

TRUST ON THE DOORSTEP

OUR CUSTOMERS

Why Royal Mail’s a gift Notonthehighstreet’s commercial and partner director, Leanne Osborne, celebrates the role we’ve played in supporting its 5,000 ‘partners’ during the pandemic.

During a year when many of us couldn’t be with loved ones, the sending of thoughtful gifts and letters to family and friends has taken on even greater meaning. However, it wouldn’t be possible without the nation’s unsung heroes – the posties.

That’s why notonthehighstreet is celebrating the postal workers who help the nation stay connected, who yearround help deliver the small touches and gestures and go out of their way to lift spirits when times are tough.

Our independent research shows that 59% of adults say they depend on their postman or woman more than ever – with 1.5 million saying they rely on them to stop them from feeling lonely. As well as being integral to the UK during the pandemic, our posties have always been essential to the success of notonthehighstreet and our small business partners.

As a platform for over 5,000 of the UK’s best small businesses, we know – because they often tell us – how important postal workers are to them. Without them, they are simply unable to get their unique products into the hands of customers up and down the country. A positive relationship with local posties and

59% OF ADULTS SAY THEY DEPEND ON THEIR POSTMAN OR WOMAN MORE THAN EVER. 28

Spring 2021

Royal Mail helps our partners to thrive.

That’s why it was incredibly special to witness the outpouring of support for our ‘Thank You, Postie’ campaign with over 20,000 nominations – four times the amount we anticipated – to reward brilliant postal workers across the nation.

Online curated marketplace notonthehighstreet is home to 5,000 small creative businesses it calls its ‘partners’. Turn to page 36 for the chance to win one of two £100 notonthehighstreet gift vouchers.

Joy of six Meet the six superstar posties chosen from among 20,000 public nominations celebrating our contribution to the nation over the past year.

Lucy Garlick Tonteg, Glamorgan Customer Sally-Ann Thomas said: “Lucy offered to go shopping for those who were shielding, left her number so she could be contacted if we needed anything, dressed up in different outfits to brighten our day, bought Easter eggs for the children and posted little notes for them through the door.”

Carol Humphreys Maltby, Yorkshire Customer Rachael Kent said: “Carol has been a constant support to my daughter who has disabilities. They speak every day and have their own little dance. A true friendship has formed between them. It’s been amazing to witness the joy it brings to my daughter’s life.”

Alan Petrie Kingseat, Fife Postman Alan said: “I wanted to break the lockdown boredom for kids by bringing a little fun into their days. Each day, I’d take my turn on whatever board game was posted on their door.”

Customer Kirsty Miller said: “Alan makes sure no one ever misses a parcel.”

Lockdown lowdown Research commissioned by notonthehighstreet revealed that more than a quarter of Royal Mail customers (26%) said their postman or woman had brought them joy since lockdown hit, 12% relied on them as a familiar face and a fifth (21%) were planning to buy them thank you gifts.

Clare and Nicola Warner Witney, Oxfordshire Notonthehighstreet retailer Jodie Gaul said: “Twins Clare and Nic have really gone out of their way, especially for the more vulnerable within our community. They even took it upon themselves to take some of my orders to the local Post Office to save me having to leave the house.”

Adam Prowse Cranbrook, Devon Customer Louisa said: “Adam always goes above and beyond to find homes for incorrectlyaddressed post. He’s so cheerful, even in the worst of weather. He’s fabulous and caring enough to help with enquiries even when he’s not working.”

WATCH Scan the code for a film featuring Adam reflecting on life as a postman his customers can rely on.

myroyalmail.com

29

DESTINATION:

STANSTED

IN THE AIR TONIGHT

We head to Essex to spend a night in the life of Royal Mail’s Stansted Air Hub. Meet the committed crew keeping the mail flying through our network.

30

Spring 2021

On 6 June 1944, US bombers took off from an airfield on the edge of an Essex village to lead more than 600 allied aircraft over the beaches of occupied France. This D-Day mission marked the start of the campaign to liberate Western Europe from the Nazis. The airfield would later house German prisoners of war.

Almost 80 years after the US Air Force built a runway on the outskirts of Stansted Mountfitchet, Stansted Airport is an international gateway to 200 destinations worldwide. Although its passenger terminals have stood largely empty lately, it remains a bustling business hub for a Royal Mail team handling around 75 million items a year.

The operation is one of our three main airport hubs. From 7pm to 3am, five nights a week, its team is responsible for processing mail despatched to, and arriving from, locations across the UK and Northern Ireland on the journey into our network of local mail centres and delivery offices.

“The past year has been one of our busiest ever, with growing mail volumes and the challenges of Covid-19,” said Stansted Air Hub manager Anthony Parsons. “The response from our dedicated and professional team has been outstanding.”

myroyalmail.com

31

D

2 0 2

An airbound operation such as this demands the highest levels of security. Each of the site’s 14 scanners is operated by three colleagues at all times. There’s a dedicated loader and off loader to help keep the mail flowing, and one colleague is responsible for screening.

Mail screener Bill Patterson has been working at the hub for 12 years and oversees the scanning process across the site. Each machine scans between 1,000 and 1,500 items every night.

“This role requires us to be alert, aware and able to identify dangerous items,” he said.

Each night, between 60-70 mail pieces are removed and rescanned to further investigate their contents. If an item is not allowed to be flown, it is either sent onwards by road or to a specialised team in Belfast, which will also notify the recipients.

Once the items have successfully flowed through scanning, they are loaded into large dome-shaped containers called unit load devices (ULDs). Justin Bensley makes sure the mail is marshalled out of the depot and onto the aircraft.

1

COU

Security scanning

RIER SPRING

PRE-FLIGHT CHECKS Bill Patterson oversees the scanning process on an item’s journey through the hub.

c.75 million

FLYING TONIGHT OPG Nikki Bishop loads a ULD.

32

Spring 2021

items handled each year

SCREEN STAR Hamid Khan is part of the team operating 14 scanners.

“It’s quite a physical job with lots of manual handling of mail,” explained Justin. “We deal with high volumes and could be moving over 50 tonnes every single night. Some of the team walk in excess of six miles on each shift.”

Alert to the hazards Safety is critical here due to the quirks of the operation. Colleagues working at high speed need to remain alive to the potential perils of dangerous mail from terrorists.

In fact, at any time the team could have a visit from the Civil Aviation Authority to check on the compliance of the operation in its delivery.

“We’re a slick, well-drilled team,” added Justin.

“The social distancing measures we have had to put in place has increased our focus on safety.

There’s radiation from the machinery too, which carries a risk to us all. To keep these levels stable, the equipment is checked every six months and recalibrated to keep everyone safe.”

SOME OF THE TEAM WALK IN EXCESS OF SIX MILES ON A SHIFT.

DESTINATION:

STANSTED

INBOUND INFLUX Major operational changes are helping Gary Clayden-Smith deal with an increase in parcels arriving at the hub.

Stansted in stats Frontline colleagues powering the operation every night.

Focus on quality At the end of 2020, the hub launched one of its biggest ever operational changes.

A refurbishment programme focused on streamlining the flow of mail through the site to improve the ability to process more items and, as a result, the quality of service to our customers.

Now, all the screening machines are lined up – rather than organised in the historic L-shaped set-up – meaning mail flows into and out of the hub in a linear fashion. The ULDs have also been grouped into one section rather than into two blocks, and the spacing of each screening machine by a fixed 2.75-metre distance makes the whole operation safer and smoother.

Staging co-ordinator Gary Clayden-Smith works at the start of the process when mail comes off the lorries and into the hub. He oversees the yorks moving into the correct queues for scanning before boarding for flights to Belfast or Edinburgh, and onward travel across Northern Ireland and Scotland.

He has seen first-hand, and perhaps more than most, the positive impact the site changes have had on the operation as a whole.

“We’re constantly working to hit the deadline of the next flight time and have to manage challenges such as late arrival of vehicles,” said Gary. “The new site layout helps us to be more efficient and deal

with the influx of parcels and larger bags of mail, so we can step up to the plate at busier times.”

Today’s airport may be unrecognisable from its wartime origins, but the sheer volume of mail moving through our hub calls for a military operation carried out by a Royal Mail air force featuring well-drilled crew members. Stansted’s standing us in good stead for our parcels-focused future.

4

6

Outbound flights per shift

Inbound flights per shift

25 8

MINUTES

allocated to take a york from lorry to plane through the operation.

15-20

Minimum number of ULDs loaded onto each flight.

yorks-worth of mail packed into each ULD

ALL ABOARD Justin Bensley and his team often load more than 50 tonnes of mail onto flights during one shift.

DESTINATION: NEXT? Have a tale to tell about your colleagues and customers? Invite the Courier team to visit and we’ll share your Royal Mail story with our readers. Email courier@linney.com to let us know why your workplace should be our next destination.

Square foot site.

Up to

Up to

180,000

140,000

Outbound mail items per night.

Inbound mail items per night.

myroyalmail.com

33

WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH

FROM THE ARCHIVE

Pioneers, crusaders, rebels and reformers Marking Women’s History Month with a celebration of GPO and Royal Mail activists and artists who pushed the envelope.

Jean wears the trousers During the Second World War, hundreds of women stepped in to take the jobs previously carried out by men, with many joining the ranks of the General Post Office.

Among them was Scottish postwoman Jean Cameron, who didn’t think her uniform provided enough protection from the weather and terrain on her harsh Highlands round.

WATCH Scan the QR code to join Jean on her Highlands round as she reveals the story behind her campaign in this 1944 documentary.

34

Spring 2021

Jean described her gruelling expedition on a typical day, explaining why skirts weren’t a practical uniform choice.

“I go 15 miles a day with the mail. I use a cycle and, where there are no roads, I have to walk. There are dykes to climb, rocks to be got over, and very often, I have to cross the River Eske. The mail you see, even in this lonely glen, has to go through.”

In 1941, Jean demanded the right for postwomen to wear trousers – a garment

IN FEBRUARY 1909, TWO SUFFRAGETTES POSTED THEMSELVES TO PRIME MINISTER HERBERT ASQUITH.

FIRST LEG It’s 1941 and a postwoman heads on her round in trousers for the first time.

that, while seen as a sign of practicality and modernity by some, was still considered unconventional, even controversial by many.

Jean’s campaign made her something of a celebrity. Her request was granted and the design became known as ‘Camerons’.

More than 500 pairs were ordered in just two months and, by November 1943, 14,000 pairs of Camerons had been issued.

“What I was doing now, thousands of posties would be doing later,” recalled Jean. “But I was the first.”

Stamping for change Florence Feek, from Pershore in Worcestershire, joined the Post Office as a clerk in 1896. In 1907, she became a member of the militant wing of the suffrage movement, the Women’s Social and Political Union, after hearing its founders, Emmeline Pankhurst and Emmeline Pethick-Lawrence, speak. Florence and other members of the WSPU attempted to seek an audience with prime minister Herbert Asquith at the House of Commons. She was arrested, along with eight other women.

STAMP OF DISAPPROVAL Postcards were used to support and ridicule the suffragettes, such as this one released to combat their attacks on postboxes.

On 23 February 1909, two suffragettes posted themselves to Asquith. At the time, the Post Office allowed individuals to be posted by express messenger. However, the pair were not admitted to No 10 Downing Street and, instead, the telegraph messenger boy AS Palmer faced rebuke for not collecting a signature on delivery.

Three years later, suffragettes attacked postboxes across the country as an act of protest. They poured ink, corrosive chemicals and flammable materials into the boxes, leaving hundreds of letters destroyed.

It was not until the Equal Franchise Act of 1928 that women over 21 were finally allowed to vote.

Liverpool postwoman and Courier Editorial Panel member, Laura Cornish, reflects on how far our male-dominated business has come.

When I joined Mossley Hill Delivery Office in November 2017, I became one of only two females in a team of 25. Being in the minority didn’t worry me. But it opened my eyes to how maledominated an environment Royal Mail could still be.

Today, our office has more than doubled its number of women to five, reflecting Royal Mail’s overall population, which stands at a fairly respectable 19% of the workforce.

Currently, 32% of Royal Mail’s senior managers are female and the company has been named as a Times Top 50 Employer for Women for the sixth consecutive year. So, we’re on the right track.

While this postwoman and mother-of-three thinks there’s scope for more girl power, I’m confident that I’m part of a business that wants women to thrive.

After all, let’s not forget that, even without the trappings of equal pay or the security of post-war tenure, hundreds of thousands of women stepped up for the Post Office during the World Wars, replacing the men who’d left to join the armed forces.

We proved our worth then and we’re still proving our worth today.

EDITORIAL PANELLIST

Let’s hear it for the mail females

I’M CONFIDENT THAT I’M PART OF A BUSINESS THAT WANTS WOMEN TO THRIVE. Women artists of the GPO Among The Postal Museum’s archive is a treasure trove of posters illustrated by celebrated female artists.

Painter and designer Vanessa Bell was the sister of the writer Virginia Woolf.

A member of the infamous Bloomsbury Group of artists, writers and intellectuals, her work was exhibited in London and Paris during her lifetime. This painting for a General Post Office poster The Last Minute, for which she received 50 guineas, was rejected for not expressing ‘the message which the Post Office wishes to convey on the subject of Early Posting’.

DISCOVER MORE Scan the QR code to explore The Postal Museum’s gallery celebrating Women’s History Month with profiles of 12 of the GPO’s resident poster artists.

Background and images courtesy of The Postal Museum.

myroyalmail.com

35

BREAK TIME

SOMETHING FOR YOU

Win!

WIN!

Bag a £100 Not On The High Street gift voucher

We’re giving away two £100 gift vouchers to spend on original and surprising products at notonthehighstreet.

Notonthehighstreet is home to more than 5,000 of the UK’s best small creative businesses. Choose from homeware, clothing, beauty products, and much more.

You’ll be supporting some of Royal Mail’s own small business customers (see page 28).

For the chance to win a £100 voucher, just tell us in less than 30 words which story you’ve enjoyed most in this issue of Courier – and why.

Email couriercomp@linney.com using ‘Voucher’ in the subject line. Include your name and address – along with your job role and location. Entries must reach us by Friday 30 April*.

HAPPY HAMPERS! Congratulations to retired Royal Mail finance manager John Purser of Coventry, who was the lucky winner of our winter 2020/21 issue’s big prize – a Selfridges hamper.

WIN! One of 10 £10 One4all Gift Cards

CROSSWORD 1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

12

10

11

13

14 15 16

17

WINTER 2020/21 ANSWERS: ACROSS 1. Chatsworth 4. Thumbs up 7. Daventry 8. Over

9. Lamb 12. Wheat 13. Red 14. Tenet 15. Paste

Name

6. My Bundle 7. Darth 10. Burns 11. Jet 12. Win

Spring 2021

Send it like Peckham! Here’s a cushty collection of Special Stamps and souvenirs celebrating the 40th anniversary of sitcom favourite Only Fools and Horses.

We have 10 sets of stamps to give away. Email couriercomp@linney.com using ‘Lovely jubbly’ in the subject line. Include your name, address and contact number. Entries must reach us by Friday 30 April.

The Only Fools and Horses issue includes a limited edition framed stamp signed by Sir David Jason, exclusive medal souvenirs and behind-the-scenes insights into the hit show.

Discover more stamps, souvenirs and gifts – including recent collections celebrating the UK’s National Parks and our nation’s greatest accomplishments – by scanning the QR code or visiting royalmail.com/shop

Post your entry to Courier Crossword, Linney Create, Adamsway, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire NG18 4FW or take a photo and email it to couriercomp@linney.com by Friday 30 April.

ACROSS 5. Helping, not warring, in the mail centre near Liverpool (10) 6. Stansted centre of operations for Royal Mail (3,3) 7. Location of Lucy’s diamonds (3) 8. Chelsea’s blooming marvellous display (6,4) 12. Snooker’s melting pot (8) 14. UK air travel compliance body (initials) (3) 15. Seven south coast cliffs, relatively speaking (7) 16. Clothesline clip (3) 17. Most excellent tennis serve (3) DOWN 1. Current James Bond has to wait a little more time to die (6,5) 2. Royal waters down a medieval musical instrument (6) 3. Cast iron, heat-retaining cooker (3) 4. Wheel the trolley to a northern cathedral city (4) 9. De Niro, Redford or Pattinson (6) 10. Back of the foot (4) 11. Mercurial winger Chris, whose miss proved costly in 1990 (6) 12. Brief, book or suit (4) 13. Family pets loved by The Cure (4) Postcode

Home address 36

DOWN 1. Cotgrave 2. Tampa 3. Rip 5. Stewart

Only Fools and Horses Special Stamps issue

40% off WW membership Enjoy a 40% saving on a six-month membership plan with leading health and wellness group WW. The MyBundle+ benefit includes a customised weight loss plan along with advice on nutritional wellbeing, mindset and sleep to help build healthy habits for life. You’ll have access to 24/7 live coaching and the award-winning WW app with a personalised food and activity tracker, workouts, Headspace® mini meditations, free rewards and over 2,000 recipes.

A personal assessment of your eating habits, food preferences, lifestyle and activity levels will unlock your customised weight loss plan.

To take advantage of this Royal Mail Group offer visit mybundleplus.myroyalmail.com and search ‘WW’. *Entries may be published in a future edition.

LOOK CLOSER

FIND YOUR DREAM ELECTRIC CAR With MyDrive, Royal Mail’s Salary Exchange Car Scheme

Nothing beats the excitement of driving a brand-new car, especially when it comes with an all-inclusive package through the Salary Exchange Car Scheme.

New car, neat package, no worries.

Brand-new car, including electric vehicles Fully comp insurance Road tax Scheduled servicing and maintenance Breakdown cover Replacement tyres Windscreen and glass cover Accident management No deposit or credit checks.

WIN

1 OF 2 £100 HOTEL CHOCOLAT VOUCHERS!

Get a quote on an electric vehicle by 30th April for your chance to win.

Get a quick quote Log in mybundleplus.myroyalmail.com Email newcar@zenith.co.uk Call 0330 134 8792

Full details about the scheme can be found at mybundleplus.myroyalmail.com. The benefit is available to current, permanent Royal Mail Group employees only, subject to eligibility and availability. Hotel Chocolat Vouchers Prize Draw: terms and conditions apply, please visit zenith.co.uk/prizedraw for more details.

BREAK TIME

MAILBAG Readers recall stories from the winter edition of Courier that inspired and moved them – or made them smile.

North West Hub I’m really excited to be in Logistics at this time of huge investment in automation.

Nancy Doyle Nightshift HGV Class 1 driver, SEDC-VOC It’s exciting to see the positive steps taken

by Royal Mail to ensure we can handle the future demand for parcels.

Matthew Drinnan Apprentice, Fleet Exeter After a very challenging year for our company, it’s brilliant to read about some great news that will help to deliver future success.

Jennie Nicholls O-Licence manager, Milton Keynes

Guided Conversation The Big Story: 2020 Richard Sullivan on his round astride an inflatable bird! What a picture of strength, displaying Royal Mail’s tenacity and humour.

Matthew King Postman, Mount Pleasant

The Holmes front Simon’s story embodied our response to Covid-19 and the humour you always seem to find in posties.

Nicola Andrews Pontypridd Delivery Office

To look back on what my workmates have achieved in such uncertain times has made me immensely proud to be a postman and reflect on the small part I have played.

Sarah Foster Postwoman, Leicester MPU

WIN!

As someone who struggles with depression and anxiety, Tony Dunbar’s story gave me hope and made me realise I’m not alone.

Olivia Foreman Postwoman, Sevenoaks During these unprecedented times, many of us needed to read a story that promotes the support available to everyone.

Aimée Morris Postwoman, Swansea Delivery Office Before 2020, I never thought depression could affect someone like me. But having gone through low moments myself last year, I was reassured to read about the support available.

Jon Skitt Letter specialist, Wholesale Commercial Team (LIW)

A £50 ONE4ALL GIFT CARD Share your views about Courier in our 60-second survey for the chance to win one of 10 gift cards Turn to page 43

38

Spring 2021

Poles apart in service quality Destination: Bakewell I loved reading about Mick Gibson who, at 80, is still loving life as a postman. His energy and enthusiasm are a joy.

Karen Doyle Leeds Mick Gibson filled me with admiration and inspiration. I’m a 61-year-old postman on beautiful rural routes and love the variety of people I meet, so I understand

the feelings he expressed. He also gave me hope that I could still be doing the job in years to come!

Martin Grace Rural delivery driver, Halifax I’ve just re-joined Royal Mail after 17 years. At 56, I thought I might not have many years to work – but Mick has given me other ideas.

Dave Cottrell Postman, Slough Delivery Office

#myroyalmailround...

KEV THEAKSTON, WALLS DELIVERY OFFICE, SHETLAND A frozen Fogrigarth in West Burrafirth.

PETER MORGAN, WIGAN DELIVERY OFFICE Sherry McDonnell on delivery in Ashton-in-Makerfield.

A lovely smile to warm up any cold day!

Polish-born Stafford postman and member of the Courier Editorial Panel, Kamil Sterniczuk, reflects on the differences between his home country’s postal service and Royal Mail.

When I arrived in England in 2013, I wanted to adapt quickly. One of the ways people do that is by making associations between what they already know and what they are experiencing. It did not take long to notice that posties in red uniforms and red vans were part and parcel of the British landscape. Even today, seeing a postie on their round or children walking to school puts my mind at ease. It is proof that the world is still turning.

There are around 26,000 posties and 62,000 other postal workers among Poland’s population of 38 million.

Unlike the UK, Polish postmen and postwomen blend in with the crowd. Uniforms are incomplete with inconsistent branding. Most have to use their own cars and bicycles to carry mail. Until recently, when you walked into a branch of Poczta Polska (Polish Post), you could buy everything from bedding to grave candles.

The postal service has a reputation of being unreliable.

High prices do not reflect the quality of service. Letters are notoriously lost or not delivered on time. Imagine not receiving a court summons or fixed penalty notice.

Poczta Polska faces similar challenges to postal providers worldwide: the sharp decline of letters (the biggest drop in Europe); fierce competition from rival couriers; the need to look for new sources of income and to invest in new technologies.

Its strategy for the next three years includes building eight automatic parcel-sorting and three logistics hubs, offering new financial and insurance products and e-delivery of official correspondence that could potentially give Poczta Polska the monopoly in digital communications.

LUCY STARES, CHICHESTER DELIVERY OFFICE A relaxing read after a long day on my Lyndhurst round.

SHARE YOUR STORY There’s a £20 Amazon gift card for the writer of every letter or #myroyalmailround post we publish.

Write to us at Courier Letters, Linney Create, Adamsway, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire NG18 4FW or email courier@linney.com

EDITORIAL PANELLIST

KAMIL’S WORLD VIEW

ROYAL MAIL CHARITIES

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

The long road back to health

Coronavirus almost claimed his life.

Then postman Martin Sykala was confronted by the twin challenges of ‘long Covid’ and lost income. He turned to the Rowland Hill Fund for support.

POSITIVE STEPS Martin takes a walk through Abington Park, in Northampton, in March as he builds his strength ahead of his return to work.

“I’m lucky to be alive,” declares Martin Sykala. The Wellingborough postman spent much of last summer attached to a hospital ventilator in an induced coma. Without the experimental drug he was prescribed to fight Covid-19, Martin doesn’t believe he’d have survived 2020 – let alone be preparing to return to work in May. “I entered hospital last May with severe stomach pain,” recalls Martin. “After a few days, I was told I had Covid-19. I actually ‘died’ on my way to a critical care ward, was resuscitated and placed into a coma for five weeks. I was gravely ill and the doctors asked my partner if they could put me on a trial drug as the chances of survival were slim.”

Discharged from hospital following an 11-week stay, after facing death twice and having to learn how to walk again, Martin returned home to confront an uphill health battle.

MY LUNGS ARE SCARRED LIKE A MAP OF THE LONDON UNDERGROUND. 40

Spring 2021

£798,242 628 Amount in grants the RHF has awarded since April 2020

Applications received and processed since April 2020

Amount awarded in a typical year

Number of coronavirusrelated cases that have received funding

£415,000 200

For more information about how the Rowland Hill Fund can offer financial help to colleagues, Royal Mail Group pensioners and their families, visit rowlandhillfund.org or call the confidential helpline on 0345 600 4586.

EDITORIAL PANELLIST

Coronavirus left him with badly damaged lungs, breathing difficulties and severe muscle pain – symptoms of ‘long Covid’.

“My lungs are now scarred like a map of the London Underground,” says Martin, a postman for 27 years.

Alongside his fitness fight, Martin has faced financial worries arising from his long-term absence. He turned to the Rowland Hill Fund (RHF), Royal Mail’s in-house charity.

“I receive no pay or government support,” he adds. “I have a small sick pay pension and a monthly pension, which means I still have to find money to make ends meet each month.”

He’s one of more than 200 Royal Mail colleagues, unable to work due to the pandemic, who have been supported by the Fund.

Martin’s grateful to the Fund for helping ease his financial fears so he can focus on his fitness.

He also values the messages he’s received from colleagues as far afield as Glasgow and has been heartened by the support of his line manager and DOM. Crucially, he’s relishing his Wellingborough return. His lungs are improving with each hospital visit and he’s due to resume light duties in late May. “The doctors tell me that I may not recover to full health. Well, it may take longer than I expected but I’ll prove them wrong.”

PAUL’S PATCH

It’s good to talk More Royal Mail colleagues than ever have accessed support from the likes of the Rowland Hill Fund and POOBI – along with our health and wellbeing tools – in the past year.

However, Andover postman and Courier Editorial Panel member, Paul Stewart, has also been taking comfort from conversations with former workmates.

Lockdown has challenged all of us in various ways.

I used to work with Phil, Rob and Rob at Hook Delivery Office but we’re now based in different places. The four of us would often meet up to eat, drink and discuss – among many things – any work issues we had.

So, during the pandemic we’ve been messaging each other regularly and sharing our stories and pictures – from changes to our daily workloads and the threat of Covid-19 inside our offices, to articles about Royal Mail in the media and even some good old-fashioned banter.

It helps us through each day.

This support from friends and former workmates has been invaluable during a challenging year.

POOBI is music to David’s ears Long-serving Somerset postman David Barr is making a song and dance about POOBI’s support for his talented teenage son.

The Post Office Orphans Benevolent Institution has awarded 17-year-old Ethan his second ‘Rising Star’ bursary for a saxophone – helping him to continue pursuing his lifelong passion for music.

Ethan performs with local rock groups, an orchestra and a jazz and wind band, playing guitar and saxophone. He staged online gigs for virtual audiences over Christmas and has started writing his own songs.

“I’ve been exceptionally lucky to have received these POOBI bursaries,” said Ethan. “They’ve made a huge difference to my future in music.”

POOBI was set up in 1870 by GPO colleagues to help families facing hardship as a result of death, chronic illness or disability. Today, it continues to support Royal Mail and Post Office people and their children through grants, university bursaries and funding for youngsters displaying potential in the arts and sport.

“I’d encourage my Royal Mail colleagues to take advantage of POOBI’s support,” added dad David, a postman in Minehead for 24 years. “Grants like these could make a world of difference, particularly in these difficult times”.

DISCOVER MORE To find out how you could benefit from POOBI’s support, visit poobi.org

myroyalmail.com

41

THE POSTAL MUSEUM

BACKSTORY

CORNISH POSTIE Cornwall’s oldest postwoman, Mrs PL Matthews, photographed on her round in the village of St Buryan in April 1935. Mrs Matthews had walked 11,400 miles on deliveries since her first round in 1900.

Photograph courtesy of The Postal Museum. Royal Mail colleagues are entitled to a free ticket to The Postal Museum – including a ride on Mail Rail. For current opening hours, visit postalmuseum.org

42

Spring 2021

Transparent and trusted award-winning car insurance For Royal Mail Group people and their partners

GOLD RIBBON

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

Car Insurance

Our Car Insurance cover includes: Guaranteed courtesy car if using 



Call a member of our friendly Sales Team on

approved repairers Replacement locks up to £500 if keys

are lost or stolen Green Flag 24-hour UK roadside breakdown assistance and recovery Legal protection up to £100,000.

01622 766960 quoting ‘royalmail’

 

Plus

nterest-free direct  I



You can also access CSIS home and car insurance via mybundleplus.myroyalmail.com

Call us for your quote

debit (0% APR) No administration charges

WIN!

or visit www.csis.co.uk/royalmail

Terms and conditions apply Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Car Insurance is underwritten and finance provided by Zurich Insurance plc.

A £50 ONE4ALL GIFT CARD

: your view Enjoyed this edition of Courier?

Are we living up to our mission to ‘Update, Inspire and Celebrate’?

Your feedback will help shape Courier’s future – in print and online.

Scan the QR code to take part in our two-minute survey for the chance to win one of 10 £50 gift cards

Join the conversation

myroyalmail.com

@myroyalmailuk

courier@linney.com

@myroyalmailuk

myroyalmail.com

43

We really care for your children

Financial support for growing families during difficult times POOBI

®

Post Office Orphans Benevolent Institution

POOBI

®

POOBI was established in 1870 by GPO colleagues to help families facing hardship as a result of death, chronic illness or disability. Today, it continues to support Royal Mail and Post Office people and their young families.

Find out how POOBI provides help:

• when children are impacted by disability, chronic illnesses or death in the family, or other serious family issues • with university expenses • by supporting special talents in the performing arts, sport or other specialist areas

✔ Royal Mail colleagues can seek assistance with child hardship issues on the Royal Mail helpline which is available Monday to Friday 9-5pm on 0345 600 4586 ✔ 2021 University Bursaries – Applications open from mid-May to mid-July 2021

In 2017, POOBI awarded Robyn a three-year bursary worth £4,800 to help her through her nursing degree.

In April 2020, 21-year-old Robyn, together with hundreds of other students, joined the NHS front line to help out with intensive care. She has since been given a full-time permanent contract as an ITU nurse due to her courage and efforts dealing with seriously ill Covid patients.

POOBI was delighted to help Robyn through university.

Today, we’re providing financial support to more than 150 other current university students.

Applications for 2021’s students are open from mid-May.

✔ Rising Stars Bursaries to help support growing talent are available all year round ✔ All details and application forms will be on our website

See our website for full details of the scheme and how to apply.

www.poobi.org

Thank you to all of our generous subscribers across the business and to the Civil Service Insurance Society for their continued support