'Letters to Heaven' post boxes to be installed at all Westerleigh Group crematoria
A nine-year-old girl's 'post box to heaven' idea which allows people to send letters to their loved ones is to be rolled out nationally at Westerleigh Group crematoria across the UK.
Matilda Handy suggested the heartwarming idea while looking for a way to express her emotions after her grandparents sadly passed away.
The schoolgirl wanted to send her late gran and granddad letters and cards so came up with a 'post box to heaven'; since her mum, Leanne, worked at Gedling Crematorium, in Lambley, Nottingham, they thought this would be the ideal site.
Crematorium, which is owned by Westerleigh Group – the UK’s largest independent owner-operator of crematoria, responded by installing an old post box, painted white, just before Christmas, which led to more than 100 letters being posted.
The post boxes are now set to be implemented at the 36 other sites Westerleigh Group currently operates across the country, as well as the three new ones due to open later this year, after Matilda's moving tribute to her grandparents proved so popular.
Matilda first thought of her idea when her post office worker grandmother Pat died in 2017 before she also lost her grandfather Keith in November last year, shortly before the post box was unveiled.
Mum Leanne, 45, hopes that her daughter's heartfelt creation can help ease the suffering grief causes and be of comfort on anniversaries and holidays throughout the year.
Leanne, from Arnold, said: "My mum and dad are in heaven and so we’re sending them letters in heaven.
“My mum passed away in 2017 and since then Matilda has always said she wishes we could send cards and letters to her mama in heaven.
"My mum worked in a post office for 25 years in our local community and it just seemed fitting for her.
“Matilda was so used to being around post boxes and letters and always wanted to send mama one.
“We wanted to unveil it at Christmas. We wanted to make sure it was the right time.
“A lot of people miss sending cards at Christmas time and that’s an important occasion for people in the community.
“I had a lady who said she really struggled as she couldn’t send her mum a Christmas card. The post box had a big impact on her.
“It's used every single day, whether it's someone old or young.
"People find real comfort in sending something, whether it’s a child drawing a picture or an older person sending something to their loved ones.
"The art of writing something helps with the process.”
Matilda said the post box also helped her with the loss of her grandad and hopes it can aid others dealing with grief.
She said: “We're doing these to be used by people when they walk past.
"It's been hard because my grandad passed away in November 2022 so it definitely did help me.
"It's just a very nice way to express my feelings and send a letter to them and to say how much I love them."
Matilda was the first to use the Gedling post box and sent a letter containing a moving poem which read:
"If heaven had a phone, Then I'd give you a ring. Just hear your voice and tell you, How my day has been.
"But it doesn't have a phone, To make missing you better, So instead I write my feelings down. And send them in a letter.
"I know that you'll be watching, As I write down every word, And I'll feel it when you reply, The unwritten and unheard."
Westerleigh Group, which owns the crematorium, is now introducing the boxes at all of its UK sites.
Mum Leanne, who is a memorial advisor at Gedling Crematorium, added: “We can walk through our local town and people will stop us and say how beautiful it is. Matilda's teacher told everyone how amazing it is.
“We're certainly proud of her, it’s helped her. If it can help her it can help a lot of other people.
“To think this little idea will actually be in all Westerleigh’s crematoria at 40 sites across the country and helping thousands of families, we just never even imagined it.
“Even if you’ve never used a Westerleigh Group crematorium, you’ll soon be able to visit any of its sites to access the post box. Everyone is welcome to use them."
Matthew Brook, Head of Memorialisation at Westerleigh Group, said: “Matilda’s post box has touched hearts of so many bereaved people across the country.
“Priding ourselves on serving our communities with exceptional care, we are delighted to be installing similar post boxes across all Westerleigh Group crematoria and helping many others who are grieving the loss of their loved one in a similar way.
“We look forward to welcoming more people to our beautiful crematoria grounds and finding comfort in placing their letters to loved ones in a post box.”
For updates about ‘Letters to Heaven’, and all the latest news at your local Westerleigh Group crematorium, visit the news pages on its website and also follow the site’s own facebook page: