'Letters to Heaven' postbox installed on Queens Drive

A funeral home has installed a special postbox where bereaved relatives can post heartfelt letters to loved ones who have died. Glentrees Funeral Service in Clubmoor installed its free "letters to heaven" service last week.

Funeral home owner Sav Payani said: "The idea of 'letters to heaven' is for people who have lost a loved one and they want to send a Christmas card or write a letter. It may be they want a bit of closure. They're able to come to our postbox and it gives them a bit of peace of mind, comfort and solace.

"Especially in hard times, whether it's Christmas, birthdays or anniversaries. We thought it would be a really nice idea, whether for a brother, wife, husband or grandad."

READ MORE: Dad yelled 'I'll take your f***ing heads off' before hitting man with golf club

READ MORE: Major update on plans to regenerate site of demolished city centre flyovers

It was inspired by nine-year-old Matilda Handy, from Nottingham, who came up with the idea of a "letters to heaven" postbox after telling her mum she wanted to write to her grandparents who had passed away. The postbox was installed at Gedling Crematorium, Nottinghamshire in December 2022 and received almost 100 letters in less than a month.

Sav said: "I thought no other funeral directors in the area are doing this; it would be a really nice idea for someone to do it so our local community can come and leave their cards to loved ones.

"You get times when someone has passed away and you never got the chance to say your final farewell. You can put it down on paper and post it. At the end of every week we gather the cards and have them blessed, and they will be cremated by ourselves. It's giving people that bit of peace of mind and closure.

"We put it up last Sunday and the feedback we have had from people has been mind-blowing; everyone has said how much of a lovely idea it is. Even people walking past have said it is a lovely idea and that they will be using it."