Post Box to Heaven Offers Chance to Say a Proper Goodbye

WHENEVER we lose someone we love, it’s practically inevitable we’ll think of things we wish we’d said to them.

We might regret failing to tell them we loved them, to thank them for something. It could be that we feel we should have said sorry, or offered our own forgiveness.

A new feature at Dukinfield Cemetery grants people a chance to right that perceived wrong, or simply to gain some peace by getting something off their chest.

The Post Box to Heaven stands on the main drive, towards the Prospect Road gates. The letters don’t go anywhere, and nobody reads them, but the box offers a chance for people to unburden themselves by putting their innermost thoughts on paper.

An adjacent plaque states: “Thank you for taking a moment to stop by our special post box.

“This is a dedicated place where you can post letters to your loved one, whether it be a letter of love, a card or any message. No stamp is needed.”

Cllr Denise Ward, Tameside Council’s executive member for environmental services, said: “I know from personal experience what’s like to lose a loved one.

“There’s a sense of numbness and depression – some people might even be angry that they’ve been left alone – but that sensation can be calmed by expressing ourselves and getting things off our chest.

“Different things suit different people, but the reaction we’ve had to the Post Box to Heaven at Dukinfield Cemetery, by word of mouth and on social media, shows visitors really appreciate the chance to put their thoughts and feelings on paper.

“It’s an idea that has been extremely popular at other local authorities and it’s proving to be the same in Tameside. We’ve had an incredible response.”

The Post Box to Heaven is available whenever Dukinfield Cemetery is open and is for the use of anyone who feels they might benefit from penning a note, letter, poem or message of any kind to someone they have lost.

It is not maintained by Royal Mail, so there is no need for stamps. All posted items are entirely private and none of them is opened, read or replied to.