Pupils at the Royal Hospital School (RHS) in Suffolk have handwritten 800 letters to be sent to elderly alumni of the school to help combat loneliness in lockdown.
The initiative was a joint effort by Royal Hospital School’s Compass Programme and the school’s Alumni Association to help build a bridge with elderly alumni during self-isolation. The school’s Compass Programme provides Lower School pupils with citizenship skills and, in this case, to develop curiosity by asking alumni questions whilst keeping alive the disappearing art of the handwritten letter. The initiative also formed part of the school’s remote curriculum which has meant all 750 pupils the world over being able to continue their studies via online teaching.
The hope is that these pen pal friendships continues into the future enabling very different generations to form a connection through a common bond.
Commenting on Lockdown Letters, Andy Redwood, Vice President, RHS (Alumni) Association said: “Older alumni remember waiting for their name to be called to receive letters from home during their days at RHS. By reimagining the tradition of ‘Letters Home’ today’s pupils are reaching out to older alumni at a time when they need human connection the most”.