A white "Letters to Heaven" postbox has been installed at Wolston cemetery to give mourners a protected place to leave sealed notes to deceased loved ones. The box was proposed by Lucy Early after her husband Martin died by suicide in 2017; she says it prevents letters being ruined by weather and offers a dignified alternative. The joint burial committee will collect letters sealed, will not read them, and plans to compost them on site; the initiative also aims to raise awareness of bereavement support.
'Letters to Heaven' Postbox Installed At Wolston Cemetery To Help Mourners
A white postbox has been installed in the village cemetery on Dyers Lane in Wolston, Warwickshire, giving people a protected, weatherproof place to leave sealed letters to relatives and friends they have lost.
The idea was proposed by local resident Lucy Early after her husband and father of her children, Martin, died by suicide in 2017. After the box was put in place she described it as "absolutely beautiful, I love it." Early said the postbox offers a dignified alternative to leaving notes directly on graves, which can be damaged by weather.
How the letters will be handled
Lorraine Knowles, clerk to the Wolston, Brandon and Bretford Joint Burial Committee, explained that letters will remain sealed and will not be read: "They will remain sealed, they will not be opened, and they will be composted on site and then that compost used to feed plants in the cemetery." Knowles said she expects to check the box roughly once a month and keep a record of how it is used.
Early said writing a letter can help people process grief: "It's really important to get your thoughts out on paper sometimes... to get it out of your head and write the letter and have somewhere to put it." She recalled leaving a four-page letter on a grave that became soaked and felt a protected box would have been much nicer.
Remembering her husband, Early said: "Martin Early was the loveliest bloke, he was kind, he was really sensitive, he loved animals, he loved F1." She added that she hoped the postbox would help reduce stigma around suicide, encourage open conversation about bereavement and point people toward sources of support.
The cemetery is owned jointly by Wolston Parish Council and Brandon and Bretford Parish Council and is managed by the joint burial committee. The committee emphasized sensitivity and privacy in handling letters placed in the box.
If you have been affected by bereavement or suicide, support is available from charities such as Guy's Gift and Winston's Wish, or national helplines such as Samaritans. Reaching out to local bereavement services can provide confidential emotional support and practical advice.
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