The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
People can now drop off letters to missed loved ones at Spalding Cemetery thanks to a family mourning a loss.
The Woolsey family have paid out of their own pockets for the erection of a Letters to Heaven postbox in memory of Ray Woolsey who passed away on September 1 after a four and a half year battle with leukaemia.
His daughter Vicky has been receiving counselling following his death and when researching about grieving online, found out about Letters to Heaven.
A nine-year-old in Nottinghamshire came up with the idea for a postbox to be installed in her local cemetery so people could post messages intended for lost loved ones.
After speaking with other family members including grandma Edith (Ray’s mum), mum Michelle and sisters Lucy and Rebecca, she approached Spalding Cemetery operators South Holland District Council via family friend and councillor Jack Tyrrell.
Council staff who maintain the cemetery backed the project which will be overseen by the family.
After being placed on a roundabout close to where Ray is buried, it was officially unveiled by the family including Ray’s wife Michelle just before Christmas.
The first person to put a letter in the postbox was three-year-old Dolcie Woolsey, one of Ray’s seven grandchildren
“We just decided to do it while dealing with our grief of losing our beloved husband, dad, grandad and great grandad,” Vicky said. “He battled and fought leukaemia courageously but lost his fight last September.
“I’ve been receiving counselling and have been writing letters to help me.
“We have seen many of these postboxes in cemeteries and crematoriums across the country to help people dealing with grief.
“The original idea came from a girl who was missing her grandad so much and wanted to send him a letter.
“It’s the same with Raymond’s grandchildren who called Spalding Cemetery, Grandad’s Special Forest.
“The postbox is for all the community to use.
“We hope we can help anyone who is dealing with grief; if it helps people, we will be happy.
“No letters or cards will be read and they will be environmentally dispensed of by the cemetery staff.
“We’d like to say a big thank you to everyone who helped make this happen including the cemetery staff who have been so helpful and who are a credit to the council.
“Thank you also to Gary Huggins of Holbeach Memorial Company who designed the memorial.”
Coun Elizabeth Sneath, who oversees the cemetery and is also a member of the Friends of Spalding Cemetery, said: “This is such a beautiful idea and such a loving way to support the bereaved following the loss of a loved one.
“I was pleased to support the installation of the postbox as it has been found that writing a letter helps us cope in the grieving process which supports our mental health at such a difficult time.
“Also, at major milestones in life, it can help children and adults to write a letter to those who should still be with us but are not here to share in events in our lives.”
