The Kindness Cards That Keep On Coming
7 March 2020
Early last summer Woodstock House care home in Norfolk, joined the Postcards for Kindness scheme, an initiative that asks people to write and send postcards to residents of care homes.
They were blown away by the positive response. At the height of the summer the home was receiving at least 15 cards a week with well-wishers sending their friendly messages and holiday news.
The deliveries sparked great conversations within the home as residents enjoyed receiving updates and stories from around the world.
And now, nearly a year into the scheme, we check in with Naomi Daglish-Gage, Activities Coordinator at Woodstock House, to see if they are still receiving cards from people’s favourite holiday destinations.
“Yes we’re still receiving them!” Naomi smiles. “It’s wonderful how thoughtful and kind people are. Most recently we’ve had a few from the UK but also as far afield as Singapore and South Africa.
“We’re currently getting around 3-4 a week delivered but I say that will go up soon as we get closer to the summer. If I sat down and counted them, then I think the total cards would be around 500!”
The Postcards for Kindness Scheme was set up to combat isolation and loneliness for older people. Joining is easy – members of the public join the Facebook group and pick one of the featured care homes of the day and start writing.
There’s no restrictions on what you write. Your post card can be sent from a day trip or a holiday to a more exotic location.
Naomi says it’s wonderful how a simple gesture such as sending a postcard can bring great joy to those who receive them.
“People share really heart-warming messages with us, and also information about their daily lives. These are some of the most popular. Some senders share news about their pets, what they’re doing day-to-day. We love receiving them all.”
One sender Caroline, shared an update on the recent RSPB birdwatch she took part in.
“We mainly had robins, blackbirds, blue tits and collard doves. Do you have many birds in your grounds? What’s your favourite bird? I like robins best, I think they’re cheeky!”
