DARTFORD GIVING
By Kate Hargreaves
If making regular visits to a vulnerable child as an Independent Visitor (as I wrote about last month) is too much of a time commitment for you right now, then this month I have a more relaxed way that you can support a child in need – through writing to a sick child through the Post Pals charity. Post Pal “What is it?” This is a zerocommitment role that can take just five minutes of your time to bring a smile to a sick child’s face. Essentially, you just find a child on the Post Pals website and send them some post to brighten their day. “Would I enjoy it?”
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“This sounds great, how do I get involved?”
knowing how happy the recipient of your post will be. Go to www.postpals.co.uk/find-pals/ to look at the children’s profiles, “How much time do I need for it?” where you can learn about their interests and key information such This doesn’t require any ongoing as whether they can read. Then all commitment, and it’s entirely up you need to do is prepare your post, to you what you send to your Post send it off, and sit back knowing that Pal – sending a funny postcard you’ve done your bit to make the could take two minutes or knitting world a brighter place for a sick child. a woolly hat could take two days. If you love the sound of this role and If you have any questions about Post do want a regular commitment, you Pals or other roles I’ve written about, can become an Assigned Writer, by feel free to email emailing info@postpals.co.uk, or kate@dartfordliving.com. alternatively you can repeatedly write to the same child without having a As always, happy volunteering! formal commitment in place.
There are so many ways to approach this that I’m sure anyone of any age or background could enjoy it. You could write a letter about how your football team is getting on or share a joke or funny poem, or you could get more creative and draw a picture “Anything else I need to know?” of your pet or make a card or even a friendship bracelet… Preparing something to send to a Post Pal could be a great family activity or a great way to keep your hands and mind busy while watching Friends for the hundredth time, and can be enjoyed by anyone. “What would I get out of it?” Being a Post Pal doesn’t require a lot of effort, and only costs the price of a postage stamp, but it will definitely get those feel-good endorphins flowing through your body,
If you’re unsure of what to send or say, there are some suggestions of conversation topics as well as tips on things to avoid at www.postpals. co.uk/help/guide-to-writing-a-post/. You can also write to the siblings of a sick child through the Post Pals charity, as their lives are often affected by what their brother or sister is going through too. Note that while you may get a reply from your Post Pal, you shouldn’t expect one.
