How you can help
Getting Involved.
There are many ways to get involved in Post Pals and it couldn’t be easier! In less than 5 minutes you can make a child smile… and for some of the children it might be their only smile that day.
Sending post – You can send post from anywhere in the world, no matter how old or young you are. You are welcome to send something as a one off or on a regular basis. You don’t need to register, just go to ‘Find Pals’, read through the current children’s pages (we also send post to some siblings of memorial Pals) and pick a child. You can send a hand written card/note, make one or order one from sites like MoonPig and Funky Pigeon, you can also send a gift (again this could be a bought one or handmade). Pop it in the post to the address on the child’s page and know that you have made a child smile!
Our ‘3 easy steps’ show you how simple it is to send post.
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Click on Find Pals, select a child and read their page
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Send a cheerful card, letter, email, or even a little gift to the child via the address on their page
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Sit back and know that a child’s day will be brightened because of YOU
You can also sign up to the schemes we run. Regular schemes include the ‘Assigned Writers’ scheme and ‘Monthly Projects’ scheme. More details of these can be found through our Facebook page or by contacting us. They involve a regular commitment to send cards or post to a Pal or sibling you are assigned to. We also run an ‘Elf’ scheme at Christmas time where you are matched with a child to send a present to, and the ‘Reindeer’ scheme where you are assigned a child to send letters to from each of Santa’s reindeer!
Extra Smiles – Could you help give some special moments to families or grant a wish? Maybe you have tickets for a show you’re no longer able to go to, or work for a company which donates tickets. Have you won a prize you can’t use but a child or a parent could enjoy? Are you planning an event, know (or are) a celebrity who would be happy to send a card or even meet a family? Do you work somewhere interesting, drive a special car or fly a helicopter? For many of our families, life just revolves around hospital and medical care, even just a few hours doing something special can make a huge difference and the memory helps them through the tough times. Past extra smiles include Pals seeing X Factor filmed, funding a kitten and everything the kitten needed, going to a snow dome, driving a digger, riding in a disco limo, a Take That concert (the person couldn’t go so donated their ticket), a night away for parents who hadn’t spent a night together for months due to a long admission (this was a prize the winner couldn’t use) and of course our annual parties. If you think you could help provide an extra smile then please contact us.
Fundraising – Whether you feel you could raise £5, £500 or £5000 for us, every penny is stretched and used to make the children smile. Just £1 can send a card and let the family know they are thought about that day. Fundraisers have varied from stalls at local events to bag packs to cycling huge distances or donating companies gift aid. Whatever challenge you fancy taking on, we can help you plan and provide things like wrist bands and badges. Please see our Fundraising section for more info.
Spreading the word – Please tell anyone and everyone you know about Post Pals! We rely on people hearing about us and sending post to Pals. Most of our volunteers have found us through people posting on forums and blogs, telling their friends, seeing leaflets that have been handed out or posters that have been put up (please see our fundraising section). You can also link to us on your own websites/blogs (you can find our downloadable links here). Get your group or school involved too! Please check out our Groups and Schools page for more info. It only takes a couple of minutes to spread the word about Post Pals and can make a big difference.
Crafting – Can you knit or crochet? Are you a cardmaker or scrapbooker? Can you make something a child might like? Our Pals love receiving things that have had love and thought put into them.
Badges and wrist bands – We have Post Pals badges and wrist bands and they can be ordered through our shop. They are £1 each and are frequently conversation starters about Post Pals.