Langstone Vale Crematorium installs memorial post box
The memorial post box initiative was the idea of nine-year-old Matilda, daughter of Gedling Crematorium’s memorial advisor, Leanne Handy
Langstone Vale Crematorium has installed a new memorial post box which allows people to send ‘Letter to Loved Ones’.
The installation followed the success of a similar initiative at one of the crematorium’s sister sites, Gedling Crematorium, which proved popular, with over 100 letters and cards being posted in the first few weeks.
The memorial post box initiative was the idea of nine-year-old Matilda, daughter of Gedling Crematorium’s memorial advisor, Leanne Handy, whose father and mother passed away in 2003 and 2017 respectively.
Handy said: “It all came about because Matilda was always saying she wished we could send Mamma and Grandad birthday and Christmas cards for them to read. She was four when my mum died, and never met my dad.
“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.”
She added: “We were thrilled by the positive response to the box and I feel very proud. 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.”
The nine-year-old’s idea led to her appearing in the BBC One show, Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway, and even receiving an invite to Number 10 Downing Street for an International Women’s Day reception, where she was presented with a Point of Light award by the Prime Minister.
Heather Hughes, manager at Langstone Vale Crematorium, said: “Having seen the response to the first memorial post box at Gedling Crematorium, I am pleased to have installed something similar here at Langstone Vale, 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. No address or stamps are required on any of the letters or cards.”
She added: “This is just another way in which we can provide emotional support to local families and is part of the uniquely personal exceptional care that all Westerleigh Group’s crematoria are committed to deliver.”
