InYourArea Community

Student sets up a program to write letters to lonely care home residents

Nina Andersen has managed to get more than 35 primary school involved in the initiative already.

InYourArea Community

By InYourArea Community

Written by Nina Andersen

A 16-year-old is trying to bring back the art of writing while also ensuring residents across the country don't feel lonely.

Nina Andersen has created an innovative project Community Senior Letters, encouraging and assisting more than 35 primary schools to write letters to elderly residents in their area.

The project has become even more significant as the elderly in care homes battle isolation during the coronavirus pandemic, but it isn't the first idea Nina has spearheaded.

She has previously set up Community Senior Music, where semi-professional musicians performed concerts at various care homes. Due to COVID-19, she has had to switch from musical entertainment to handwritten letters to keep the elderly connected during these unprecedented times.

Community Senior Letters aims to match primary schools to care homes in the same borough to provide human connection during lockdown.

This allows hope and happiness to be brought to the elderly residents at care homes, and for them to form wonderful friendships.

Likewise, students are able to form friendships by unleashing their inner creativity as they send letters and drawings to the care homes.

Nina Andersen from Putney, Wandsworth, said: “I believe that letters and drawings have the power to affect empathy and connection between two people from different generations, contexts, and walks of life.

"Sending and receiving these letters helps to uplift spirits, ease stress and relax the mind.

"Not only does it provide elderly people with some form of human connection during isolation, but it also helps to alleviate any boredom the pupils may be feeling.”

Nina continued: "I am currently working on this project alongside my schoolwork, but it makes my day when I receive pictures of handwritten letters from primary school children, or emails from care homes expressing their gratitude and appreciation for this project.”

Hand written letters are brining smiles to the faces of residents across the country.

Also speaking of the initiative, Lynde House Care Home, a care home signed up to the project said: “We are loving the letters and they have cheered everyone up. Please keep them coming, they are so appreciated!”

This initiative demonstrates that even a small act of kindness, such as writing and sending a letter, can make a big difference to someone else’s life.

Schools and care homes have signed up to this letter writing project in the following areas:

Wandsworth, Richmond, Kingston-upon-Thames, Merton, Camden, Islington
Westminster and Kensington & Chelsea, London as well as Edinburgh, Scotland.

Community Senior Letters would love for more schools and care homes to get involved. To do so please email