A poignant ‘Post Box to Heaven’ has been installed at West Road Cemetery in Shildon, funded by Town Mayor, Councillor Shirley Quinn together with a memorial stone kindly donated by William Allison & sons Ltd, Bishop Auckland.
The post box will offer mourners the opportunity to post letters to loved ones.
The idea was inspired by nine-year-old Matilda Handy from Nottingham who had a touching wish to send a letter to her grandparents who passed away and this then started the roll out of a ‘Post Box to Heaven’ campaign nationwide.
Mayor Quinn said: “The simple act of writing and sending letters to a loved one when they have passed away can offer a profound sense of healing and connection during the grieving process and help ease the feeling of loss felt especially on special days and anniversaries”.
Messages can be written on recycled biodegradable paper embedded with seeds and will eventually be shredded and planted in specific areas of the cemetery.
Alternatively, letters may be shredded, mixed with organic material and composted. This will then be spread to help grow new life into the grounds.
Every letter or card put into the memorial post box will be treated with the utmost respect and confidentiality. They will be stored securely and never opened or read.
There will be a small supply of biodegradable paper at the Town Council Offices for members of the public to use to write their messages.
For more information, please contact Shildon Town Council on 01388 772563.
Shildon & District's local community newspaper.
