Leeds City College

The pandemic has had a huge effect on the loneliness epidemic; many people across the country have been restricted from seeing their loved ones for many months.

Although this time has been challenging for everyone, care home residents and students are amongst the hardest hit by loneliness.

In order to bridge the loneliness gap, Leeds City College launched the ‘Altogether Letters’ project, aiming to cultivate a feeling of connection between students and those living in care homes.

Inspired by the ‘From Me to You’ letter project, which coordinates pen pals with those suffering from cancer, the college was keen to adapt this theme to care home residents, who have been particularly affected during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Throughout December and January, 137 students across Travel, Enterprise, Childcare and Adult English courses, have written letters about themselves or their perfect day to create a connection with the care home residents.

Verity Eaden, Events, Projects and Promotions Apprentice, who’s been working on the project, said: “There has been so much news coverage recently focusing on the loneliness felt by those in care homes. Our students have experienced similar feelings of isolation due to remote learning, therefore we thought Altogether Letters was a great opportunity for the two groups to connect.

“The letters contained a variety of topics, such as the students’ interests, self care tips and fond memories. We’ve had fantastic feedback from students, they’ve loved writing letters and knowing the positive impact they’ve had.

“In total, we reached out to eight care homes in Leeds, which were all incredibly grateful for our letters. It was humbling to hear the huge impact the letters had made, with many care homes mentioning how the project has uplifted the residents’ spirits.”