White postbox installed outside Solihull funeral home in moving gesture

A Solihull-based funeral director has set up a permanent postal service for families struggling with grief and loss. The team at Thomas Bragg & Sons Funeral Directors in Shirley have installed a 'letters to heaven' postbox outside their branch on Stratford Road.

The postbox local people the chance to post a letter to their loved ones who have passed away and help keep their memories alive. Staff at Thomas Bragg & Sons said they hope the post box will help provide a way for the bereaved to manage their grief.

The unique installation was inspired by Midlands nine-year-old Matilda Handy whose idea to write a letter to her grandparents who had passed away saw post boxes installed at a crematorium in Nottingham last year, and several others across the country.

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James Martin, funeral manager at Thomas Bragg & Sons, said he wanted it to be an outlet for anyone who felt they wanted to write something for a lost loved one.

“We thought this was a lovely idea,” James said. “We all deal with grief differently, and, for some people, it can be very beneficial to write something down. Everybody is welcome to post a letter or card regardless of when we last saw you, or even if we never have."

The idea is that anyone who wants to post a message to someone who has passed away can put them in the box at any time of day in a private moment. And the letter doesn't just get disposed of, it goes on to become something else.

Special seeded compostable paper is available in the Stratford Road branch for people to use, which will then be placed in specially-designed planters at the front of the funeral home to create a permanent reminder of departed loved ones.

James Martin continued: "Please share with your friends and family so everybody knows it’s here. Whether it is a special occasion, like a birthday or an anniversary, or simply something you want to do at any time of the year, we hope it helps people.

“It’s the sort of thing which can really help children deal with the loss of a loved one at what can be a difficult and confusing time.”