by John Prince
The seal has been broken on a special letterbox where people can post messages to loved ones they’ve lost, offering a way to remember and feel close to them.
The Cameo Bereavement Service in Hornsea came up with the idea, and obtained funding through the National Lottery for the box to be placed in Memorial Gardens.
A grant of £3,450 was secured, and Hornsea Town Council put it up and it was sealed a couple of weeks ago.
Members and supporters of Cameo removed the seal in a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Saturday morning, opening the letterbox for all to use.
The first letters were posted by four-year-old Maisie Wright, and Archie Wright, seven, who sent their own private letters to their late great-grandfather Vernon, whom they called Gramps.
The idea behind it is to help people through the grieving process, and to help them remember their loved ones, or pets, by writing a personal letter to them and posting it.
The letters will be taken away every month to Hornsea Methodist Church, where they will be blessed, shredded then burned. The letters are never opened or read, and remain confidential.
Rosie Bullard from the Cameo Bereavement Service said: “There are similar boxes in Hull and Withernsea, and I thought what a lovely idea.
“There have been six of us from Cameo who have been involved in it.
“We got a grant from the National Lottery, which will also go towards supporting the service.
“When people are grieving, one of the things that can help is to write to the person that they’ve lost. We thought by having that here, people can do that, and nobody needs to know that they’ve done it.
“The post box will be emptied, and the letters destroyed and never read.
“We’ve left the ER on the postbox and painted it gold in memory of the late Queen Elizabeth II who has passed, so that’s something to remember her by.
“It’ll be maintained by my husband Andy, and we’ll walk past it regularly and look after it. We’re asking other people in Hornsea to look after it and respect it as well.”
People are being asked to put all letters in a sealed envelope. They do not need a stamp.
The Letters to Heaven postbox can be found at the Park Row entrance to Memorial Gardens, just behind the war memorial.
Anyone who would like to contact Cameo can call 07351 976 815 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays between 4pm and 7pm. Their email is [email protected].