Tilgate councillor officially opens post office and store

The branch has re-opened at 17 Tilgate Parade, Crawley, RH10 5EQ, inside a fully-refurbished store called Kwikin, selling convenience goods, greetings cards and hardware.

The shop and Post Office has re-opened at the same time under new management. Joint partners are Premal Sharma and Nilesh Nayi, who are both from Crawley. Premal has previously worked for Horsham Post Office inside the WHSmith store and both they and their wives have experience of running shops.

Cllr Maureen Mwagale said: “The opening of Tilgate Post Office and this new shop has breathed new life into this parade of shops. The new store looks great. The timing of its opening is perfect with Christmas approaching fast.

“There are also lots of reasons to visit a Post Office all year round with sending parcels, home shopping returns, bill payments and banking. People can do cash and cheque deposits and cash withdrawals on behalf of all the major high street banks.

“I also believe that it will make our elderly residents’ life easier now that they no longer have to trek into the town centre to post to their loved ones or to do other Post Office transactions.”

Postmaster, Premal Sharma, said: “There is parking right outside including designated disabled bays, so it is easy to quickly pop in, which is why we called the shop Kwikin.

“This shop had stood empty for three years, so the community is delighted to have a Post Office open again and a fully new-look shop. When deciding the range of goods to stock, we looked to see what the greatest need was in this community and what was already offered in the parade of shops. We are all geared up for Christmas.”

"Kwikin provides various range of products including greeting cards, party sections, DIY, newspapers and convenience items for the daily needs of the customer, all under one roof. The Post Office is available for cash withdrawals and very soon there will be a free to use, external ATM, which will also support the business and benefit the community."

The new opening hours for Tilgate Post Office are Monday to Saturday: 7.30am – 5.30pm. This provides 60 hours of Post Office service a week for the convenience of customers. The shop timings are: 7.30am to 8pm.

Tilgate Post Office closed in August 2020 when the McColl’s store shut.

Richard Wilder, Post Office area manager, said: “We are delighted that these new owners have restored Post Office services to Tilgate as we know how important a Post Office is to a community. I know that the local community will join me in welcoming this good news and hope that our customers will continue to use this service.”

• Open Monday to Saturday: 8.30am – 5.30pm • 60 hours of Post Office service a week • Free to use external ATM • New owners experienced in operating Post Offices and retail