Letter-writing might have become something of a dying art but one Sittingbourne woman is doing her utmost to keep it alive.

Heather Wood, who lives at a supported living service in Park Road run by care provider Regard, sends up to five letters a day.

These include notes to her elderly mother, in addition to regular correspondence with friends and acquaintances.

For Heather, aged 51, who is autistic and has a learning disability, living close to a post box is paramount.

Park Road team leader Amanda Pryer said: “Writing letters keeps Heather calm and helps ease her anxiety.

“She only gets to see her mother once a month, and staying in touch with her every day is vital for her sense of well-being.

“Staff do all they can to support her and accompany her on her twice-daily visits to the post box so that she can post the letters herself.

“She gets lots of replies, and every day she hears back from someone in the post.

“She really looks forward to it.”

“She only gets to see her mother once a month, and staying in touch with her every day is vital for her sense of well-being" - Park Road team leader Amanda Pryer

Heather recently returned from a holiday in Norfolk with her fellow house-mates, where they spent a week in a converted barn in Thornham on the county’s north coast.

Amanda added: “When we were looking at places for the group to stay, it was really important there was a post box nearby.

“Luckily, we found a property which had one right outside, and we got one of our support
workers to take a picture of it to show Heather in advance.

“Without having somewhere to post her letters every day, it would have been impossible for her to have gone away.

“To some people it might seem a small thing, but to Heather the sending and receiving of letters means absolutely everything, and is the most important thing in her life.”