A SPECIAL post box has been installed at a crematorium to allow relatives to send letters to loved ones who are no longer alive.
Oldham Council says it was inspired to do so by the touching story of a girl from Nottinghamshire, who first thought of the idea.
Matilda Handy came up with the suggestion for ‘letters to heaven’ post boxes after both her grandparents died, five years apart.
Since then, councils across England, Scotland and Wales have installed them.
The local authority has placed a memorial post box in the Book of Remembrance Room at Hollinwood Crematorium.
It’s next to the Crematorium Chapel and is available every day of the year to visit, before being locked securely overnight.
The council says every letter put into the memorial post box will be treated with complete confidentiality and sensitivity and none of them will be opened or read.
Councillor Chris Goodwin, whose portfolio covers the crematorium and cemeteries, said: “This post box allows family and friends to post letters to their loved ones who are no longer with us.
“Any resident can visit, and they do not need to be connected to Hollinwood Crematorium.
“They can just pop in and post their special message. It gives people the chance to post a birthday card, Christmas card, or the last card or letter that they may not have had the chance to send.”
Councillor Goodwin was joined at the unveiling of the postbox by the Deputy Mayor of Oldham, Cllr Eddie Moores, Deputy Mayoress Kath Moores, Councillors Sandra Ball and Mark Wilkinson, and funeral director Michael Lindup.
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