Residents strike up pen pal friendships

The ‘beauty and value’ of handwritten messages has begun bringing joy our residents 

It follows a pen pal exchange agreed between our home and our sister home, The Aldbury in Poole.

Team members at our homes shared respective lists of residents who said they would like to participate.

First to put pen to paper has been Fernhill.

Resident Doris Smith, known as Dori, said that she had not had a pen pal since she was a teenager.

“Dori said she had two pen pals at that time, one she wrote to in America and one in this country,” said Ann Marie Knight from our Companionship Team. “She told us she would love the idea of having a new pen pal and receiving letters back.”

Ann Marie said it was a similar case for resident Elizabeth Wilson, adding: “She remembered writing to a girl who lived in Canada when she was a teenager. The girl had been on a school exchange over here and that’s how they met and became pen pals.”

For Fernhill residents Gwen Jellis and Joan Vohra, this is their first ever pen pal relationship.

“They were both very excited to be writing and anticipating receiving replies,” said Ann Marie. “Our residents put together some thoughtful notes full of positive messages.

“Seeing the smiles all round clearly showed they appreciated the beauty and value of handwritten letters.

“We are planning to invite The Aldbury residents to Fernhill for lunch so they can get to meet and chat with their pen pals in person.

“Hopefully this can be the beginning of a blossoming friendship, moving it off the page and into time spent face to face.”

At The Aldbury, Companionship Team members Melissa Siat and Cara Duroe both spoke of the benefits of the initiative.

Cara said: “We chatted to quite a few residents and they all said how wonderful the idea is. Valerie and Bill Sharp told us they both had pen pals in America as children, which was organised through their school.”

Melissa said: “We’re loving this new project with Fernhill as writing skills improve memory, help with dexterity and emotional wellbeing and keep our residents sociable.”

The Aldbury resident Joan Perrin said: “I hope to have a pen pal who shares the same hobby of ballroom dancing so we can write about a common interest.”

Fellow resident Joyce Holden was especially pleased with a card sent by Doris Smith at Fernhill as the pattern matched her favourite blanket and she remembered meeting Doris at a garden choir performance at Fernhill last summer.  “I’m so pleased she chose me to be her penpal friend,” said Joyce.