Postcards Of Kindness Spreading Joy This Summer

Your postcards are making a real difference this summer, and beyond...

Last year our care group launched the Postcards of Kindness appeal, which asked members of our homes' local communities to send postcards from wherever in the world they'd been on holiday. While we knew that some individuals were likely to receive cards from their own relatives we wanted to include everybody at each home; we wanted to ensure that no resident was left out, and make every adventure accessible to all. The response to our appeal was phenomenal, and thousands of cards from all around the world were received in a very short space of time. Not only did our homes receive postcards from friends, relatives and neighbours, but cards also came from people living on the other side of the world and everywhere in between. The senders were keen to share details of their hometowns and holidays, and inspire happy memories for our residents to share with staff members.

Our campaign hoped to alleviate the isolation sometimes experienced by care home residents, and to encourage social interaction and conversations about the places the cards came from. We wanted to engage residents and hear them talk animatedly about the things they remembered, and give them an opportunity to learn about new, faraway places. Most of all we wanted residents to know that they were thought of, very fondly, by all kinds of people; that they were still very much a part of their local, and global community. These cards could be read and treasured, collected and organised. They formed an integral part of many reminiscence and activity sessions, and raised so many smiles as residents travelled the world vicariously via the adventures of others who had taken the time to write to them. We were heartened to know how much kindness there was in the world.

Some of the postcards our homes have received, and our residents' smiling faces as they read the senders' stories

This year we wanted to spread the kindness even further. Rather than launching our own appeal we created Postcards of Kindness - The Group, a Facebook group that hoped to match travellers with care homes to write to. We have been using the hashtag #PostcardsOfKindness to connect all of our posts. We were aware that other care homes had wanted to begin their own appeals last year, and that there were travellers willing to write to care homes who didn't know quite where to start. The concept is simple; care homes register their addresses within a spreadsheet monitored by our admins, and senders can pick as many places to write to as they wish. Both parties are then welcome to post about the cards sent and received. Members may be those representing care homes or those sending cards, but all are united by a wish to spread kindness amongst care homes. The group launched in June (2019), and has grown more than we ever could have anticipated.

To date we have had 971 care homes join us, and there are more than 28,500 members spreading kindness. The group has become about so much more than sending postcards, too. At first members were sending postcards from their holidays, but this soon became opportunities for care home residents to write back and form new friendships with people anywhere in the world. Care homes became the senders, and messages of love and friendship were exchanged rapidly. We have had requests for 100th birthdays. These residents have often received hundreds of cards from people they've never met. Senders have admitted how much writing their cards has meant to them; some members living with anxiety and depression have found immense therapy in the simple act of writing and sending cards. Meanwhile we have seen pictures of so many smiling faces, as care home residents realise that they're fondly thought of - not to mention the memories that have been unlocked. Schools, brownie and scout troops and nurseries have come on board, and closed the intergenerational gap. Put simply, Postcards of Kindness have made a lot of people very happy this summer.

The group is staffed by dedicated admins and moderators, who work almost tirelessly to ensure that members' queries are answered and that everyone is kept safe and content. They have been overwhelmed by the support for the group, commenting that the residents' smiling faces really make everything so worthwhile. It has also been lovely to note that care homes are rarely left out; the spreadsheet shows which homes have received card that week.

The initiative shows no signs of stopping, either. Members are planning for Christmas, and retailers are still running short on postcards. It has been incredible to hear stories of how far Postcards of Kindness has travelled, and we will be forever grateful to everyone for embracing the idea. Please do join us: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1193914597448129/. Whether you wish to register your care home, send cards or simply watch the magic unfold, you'd be most welcome.

#PostcardsOfKindness

- Louise Baker, Marketing Assistant