Sedbergh RS Pupils send Postcards of Kindness

Year 9 and 10 Religious Studies (RS) pupils have recently been taking part in the ‘Postcards of Kindness’ initiative, as part of reading and handwriting week.

Postcards of Kindness is an initiative that asks people to write and send postcards to residents of care homes. And while it’s a small gesture, the resulting deliveries bring a great deal of joy and spark lively conversations among the older people who receive them.

Supporting residents of care homes across the UK with their handwritten postcards, pupils have been aiming to combat loneliness and remind care home residents that there’s always somebody thinking of them.

Introduced in 2019, Postcards of Kindness is continuing to grow and throughout the UK lockdown, due to Covid-19, has seen a big surge of postcards sent to various care homes. This week (18 May – 24 May) is Mental Health Awareness Week, with the theme for this year being kindness. Mental Health Foundation has chosen kindness as their theme “because of its singular ability to unlock our shared humanity. Kindness strengthens relationships, develops community and deepens solidarity. It is a cornerstone of our individual and collective mental health.”

Having worked as a carer during her time at University, Mrs Hailey Fletcher, Head of Religious Studies at Sedbergh, knows the positive effect this scheme can have of residents of a care home saying, “I know just how valuable a letter or a postcard can be to both staff and residents in a care home.”

Mrs Fletcher continued by explaining “In RS, we encourage our pupils to put themselves in the position of others and in these unprecedented times, we have more in common with those who may find it difficult to get out and socialise than ever before.”

In keeping with the ‘kindness’ theme for Mental Health Awareness Week, pupils have been able to spread kindness to others.
“This scheme enables pupils to reach out and make someone’s day, without expecting a reply.” Said Mrs Fletcher.