A mobile bank provides much-needed help

One example is Woolsthorpe by Belvoir, which sits on the border between Lincolnshire and Leicestershire, in the shadow of the imposing gothic masterpiece of Belvoir Castle.

Each Friday a mobile bank rolls into the village to offer a full range of services to the population of�350. It is based at�HSBC's Grantham branch and is one of five operated by the bank, making 120 rural stops each week.

HSBC is the only one of the UK's big four banks providing the service, though some Scottish banks also have mobile branches.�

"People in rural villages who might be some way away from the main towns need to do their banking, whether it's personal , business, or to get their change," said Roger Graves, of HSBC in Grantham.

"Local villages are still there and they still want the services of a bank."

Mobile butcher

As well as money, the villagers of Woolsthorpe also get their meat from a mobile shop.

The local butcher's shop closed many years ago, but each Wednesday a van from Taylor's in nearby Bottesford makes its round.

The butcher comes to town

Butcher Robert Taylor says it's a tradition started by his grandfather , who used a horse and cart.

Bottesford�used to have three butchers offering the service, now there is just the one. Mr Taylor admits competition from supermarkets makes its future uncertain.

Residents say these services are invaluable. "It's all right if you've got a car and you can get into Grantham, but if you haven't you're stuck. So it helps those who haven't got cars," commented Lizzie Harper.

There are other mobile services for those who find it difficult travelling to regional centres.

Lincolnshire County Council has a number of libraries making regular rural rounds. And South Kesteven District Council's roving office enables people to pay their bills.

Fruit and veg and stamps

Farmer Jim Mival travels from Spalding to sell fruit and veg from his van in the area where his wife grew up. He also has a more permanent presence in Woolsthorpe -- an example of co-operation between the authorities and the community.

The local post office has been kept open

He had been selling his produce from a stall at weekends and expanded into a general store when another shop in the village closed.

Then the parish council asked if he could take on the running of the village Post Office, which had previously been run by villagers from their front rooms or garages.�

"I met the Post Office and they said if I could build the kiosk how they wanted it, there was no reason why I couldn't have it," explained Mr Mival.

With the help of two thousand pound in grants from the parish and district councils, the work was carried out.

The wooden hut might not be spacious, but it has been trading successfully for a year.

"Unless people do these things, villages are going to die. It's like a focal point," he said. "We don't expect�everyone to do their weekly shop here, but for buying the basics, it keeps you going."

Although closures make the headlines, many communities are rallying round to ensure that their villages remain thriving places. ����