FAMILIES who have lost love ones can now ‘post a letter’ to them as part of their grieving process, or just help them still feel connected.

The ‘Smiley Celebrant’, Kate Moran, is taking her ‘post box to heaven’ on a tour of the funeral homes she works with, starting this week at Fowles Funeral Directors in Winsford. 

Kate had the idea after reading about a nine-year-old girl from Nottingham, Matilda Handy, who asked her local crematorium to install a similar post box to allow her to send messages to her grandparents after they died.   

Kate hopes that in providing the same service to the Cheshire families she helps through her work as a celebrant, some might benefit from the same opportunity to reach out to those they have lost.

Northwich Guardian: Kate is taken her post box around the funeral homes she works with across CheshireKate is taken her post box around the funeral homes she works with across Cheshire (Image: Kate Moran)

She said: "I just thought it was such a lovely thing to do.

"When I shared the story on social media, I had a lot of families saying it was such a great idea – especially families who had lost children.

"When I’ve done their child’s service, their sibling tend to write letters to their brother or sister that they’ve lost.

"That was the trigger for me to go and buy one."

The post box will be in the chapel of rest at Fowles Funeral Services in Winsford from Wednesday, February 2, until Sunday, February 12. It will then move to Birches Crematorium in Lach Dennis from Monday, February 13, for 10 days. 

Dave Fowles, a director a Fowles Funeral Services, is so taken with the idea that he is planning to install a permanent post box in their garden of reflection, which will be available for anyone for anyone who needs it.  

Northwich Guardian: Kate wrote an accompanying poem about the post boxKate wrote an accompanying poem about the post box (Image: Kate Moran)

Dave said: "When you lose someone you’re close to, maybe someone you've talked to every day for a long, you suddenly don’t have that opportunity anymore.

"It might be nice to keep them updated, with things you’ve achieved at school, or to send them a birthday or Christmas card.

"I know it won’t be for everybody, but it is for you, it’s something that’s there. If it helps that grieving process, that’s fantastic."