Girl’s ‘postbox to heaven’ idea to be rolled out across crematoriums in UK - full list of locations

A UK crematorium company will soon set up  ‘postboxes to heaven’ to let people send letters to their lost loved ones, thanks to a heartwarming idea by a nine-year-old. Grieving Matilda Handy, from Nottingham, came up with the heartwarming idea when she wanted to look for a way to express her emotions after her grandparents died.

The schoolgirl first thought of it when her post office worker grandmother Pat died in 2017, before she also sadly lost her grandad Keith last November. Her mum, Leanne, then approached her bosses at Gedling Crematorium in Lambley, which is owned by Bristol-based Westerleigh Group.

They responded by installing an old postbox painted white just before Christmas, leading to more than 100 letters being posted. They are now introducing the boxes to all of its 36 UK sites  - as well as three new ones due to open later this year - after seeing Matilda’s tribute to her grandparents proved so popular.

Leanne 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 postbox had a big impact on her.