CHRISTIANS in Clitheroe are set to take part in a coordinated postcard campaign to fight the proposed closure of the town’s Jobcentre.

Hundreds of cards are being sent to churches across the town ahead of Sunday services where the congregations will be encouraged to sign and send them to the Department of Work and Pensions.

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Bosses at the DWP confirmed last month that the future of the Lowergate office is under threat as part of a ‘value for money’ consultation, which is set to finish next week. Job-hunters and benefits claimants would be forced to travel to Blackburn under the proposals — but officials have conceded that smaller premises in Clitheroe may be found for a scaled-down operation in future.

St Mary Magdalene curate, Rev Andrew Whitehead, who has helped to organise the campaign, said: “Clitheroe is an ideal place for a rural job centre – the current centre’s footfall may be comparatively low, but it draws clients from a wide, rural area.

“The existing building is poorly suited to the services it now provides, and is far too large.

“I understand the need to reduce expenditure but surely that can be achieved by looking at an alternative site in the town, rather than withdrawing the service altogether.

“If the Clitheroe Job centre closes, clients will have to travel to Accrington or Blackburn.

“Although these aren’t very far away, and both are served by public transport, the people who have to make the trek will lose half a day in the process. They will also have to fork out for bus or train fares, which they can ill afford.

“Additionally, the extra travel time will increase the risk of missing appointments, which will, in turn, lead to benefit sanctions.

“We don’t know what the effect of our efforts might be, but I think back to the postcard campaigns urging supermarkets to stock Fairtrade goods back in the nineties.

“They clearly worked, so perhaps our local postcard campaign will make people listen.”