A few favourite lines from imagined letters, shared the way a real charity would: with permission, first names only and nothing that could reveal where anyone lives.

The postbag.

A bundle of old airmail envelopes and postcards tied with string, with a red pen and vintage stamps

Edith, 91

Retired school secretary, writing to Leo

“Dear Leo, you asked whether I was ever nervous before an exam. My dear boy, I was nervous before every single one of them. I sat them anyway. I suspect you will too.”

A close portrait of a smiling older woman with curly blonde hair

Leo, 19

First-year apprentice, writing back

“Dear Edith, I passed. I was nervous the whole time and I sat it anyway. Mum says I had to tell you first, so I am telling you first.”

A smiling young man in a denim jacket

P.S. The tomatoes did come up in the end. Seven of them. I have named the biggest one after you.

P.S. I have enclosed a photograph of my cat. He did not consent to the photograph.

P.S. Your handwriting is getting much better. Mine is getting much worse. We will meet in the middle.

P.S. Write soon. Or write late. Just write.

Pairs, in their own words.

Imagined pen pals on what changed once the letters started arriving.

Joan & Aisha

Pen pals for 14 months

“We met for the first time at a letter afternoon after a year of writing. It felt like meeting someone I already knew.”

An older woman and a young woman talking over cups of tea at a wooden table

Rosa & Mei

Pen pals for two years

“She sent me her grandmother’s biscuit recipe in the post. Now we bake them together on video calls, which is cheating, but lovely.”

An older woman and a young woman laughing while shaping biscuits together in a kitchen

Ken & Tobi

Pen pals for eight months

“I thought I would be helping an older person. Mostly, Ken has been helping me with my job applications.”

A young man, a young woman and an older man smiling together at a table

Year 4 & Elm Court

School partnership

“Our class writes to the residents of a care home. Every reply gets read aloud, twice.”

An older woman and a young girl arranging flowers together at a sunlit tableA bundle of old airmail envelopes and postcards tied with string, with a red pen and vintage stampsTwo airmail envelopes with red and blue striped edges on a white backgroundA wax seal and its brass stamp resting on handmade paperA handwritten note tucked into a kraft envelope on a wooden desk beside ink and scissorsA red post box set into a dark green hedgeHands holding a handwritten letter above pale bed linenHands sliding a letter into a pale envelope beside a round glass tableAn older woman writing at a round wooden table beneath a warm hanging lamp

For three months, Arthur, 88, and Nell, 22, wrote mostly about one robin on Arthur’s fence. In March, Nell drew it. In April, Arthur framed the drawing and hung it by the window where the robin likes to sit. A small story about paying attention, and the reason we never ask pen pals to write about anything important.

The robin that kept coming back.

LETTER OF THE MONTH

An older woman writing at a table by a window full of houseplants, a cup of tea beside herStart your own story