A touching memorial postbox has been installed at a crematorium in Leicestershire, which will allow people to send letters to their lost loved ones in heaven.
The white postbox has been installed at Great Glen Crematorium, following a successful launch of the scheme in Nottinghamshire, last year.
The Letters to Heaven postbox initiative, was the idea of nine-year-old Matilda Handy, who wanted to keep in touch with her grandparents after they passed away.
After being piloted at Gedling Crematorium in Nottinghamshire, hundreds of letters were placed in the postbox within weeks of its installation.
Now there are plans to install the special postboxes up and down the country.
“We were thrilled by the positive response to the box and I feel very proud,” said Matilda’s mum Leanne Handy.
“We’ve had amazing comments from members of the community who have used it, about the comfort they have gained from writing letters and cards.
“Now the post box is in place, I am so pleased that local people are using it, and taking some comfort from it, as another way of feeling connected to their loved ones.”
The national roll-out is being undertaken by the Westerleigh Group with Great Glen Crematorium in London Road taking in the county’s first white memorial postbox.
Aleksandra Harris, Site Manager at Great Glen Crematorium, said: “Having seen the response to the first memorial post box at Gedling Crematorium, I am pleased to be starting the national installation project on behalf of Westerleigh Group here at Great Glen and enabling our bereaved communities to have access to this wonderful asset too.
“Feedback has shown that the process of writing a letter, or perhaps a birthday card, to a lost loved one has already brought therapeutic comfort to many people.
“Now, the communities in and around our crematorium can do the same thing.”
