We Are Royal Mail

Claire Irwin works as a postwoman at Warrington mail centre, where she is responsible for sorting manually the items that the parcel sorting machine rejects. She first joined Royal Mail in Crewe in 1996, and has been with us ever since.

On a typical day, Claire will sort through thousands of items of mail by hand, ensuring they all reach their destination. She’ll also help out on the parcel sorting machine, loading and unloading items that are to be processed.

Claire enjoys the variety of the role, and appreciates the independence she gets from it.

She says: ‘I like the degree of freedom that I have on a daily basis. I don’t have to clock in or out, and nobody stands over me as I work. I can make decisions for myself, which is great.’

It’s a busy role which can be challenging as customers often mislabel items with incorrect addresses. Claire’s colleagues, however, know they can count on her encyclopedic knowledge of postcodes in the region.

‘It’s important to have a good knowledge of the frame in front of you, and the area that you’re responsible for,’ she says. ‘The more knowledge you’ve got, the easier the job is and the less chance you’ll make any mistakes.’

Claire says teamwork is an essential part of working at the mail centre. Without it, colleagues would struggle to meet customers’ needs.

She says: ‘The most important part for me is being conscientious and always considering the people working around you.

‘We all work hard here, and I see staff going the extra mile to help others every single day.’

Claire is part of We Are Royal Mail, our campaign to showcase the different people and roles that make up our unique operation. See more profiles here.