A Fermanagh woman has launched a new project to foster good relationships between young and old.

Cavanaleck woman Nuala O’Toole has launched a scheme which will encourage a different kind of conversation as it invites children to send post cards and letters to care home residents.

The Enniskillen Kindness Post-box will begin accepting post on April 10. It could lead to their being a new set of pen pals in Enniskillen.

Nuala has co-founded this project along with Daniel O’Toole and Katie O’Neill.

Nuala explained her goals for the project to The Impartial Reporter. She said: “This is a project to give residents of local care homes in lock down something to smile about.

“We encourage families - and anyone - to write a cheerful letter, draw a picture or find an uplifting card or postcard - and post it into our Kindness Postbox!”

“You can currently find the postbox in McBride’s Spar Chanterhill- we will collect the mail and distribute it to older people in our Care Homes who are currently separated from their families and friends and can’t receive visitors!

“There will also be a smaller Kindness Post Box in situ in the Care Home setting to allow the residents to respond to their mail collectively.

The physical ‘Kindness Post Box’ was designed by Katie O’Neill (24) who is in the process of starting out her own small craft business locally. She has made and decorated the post box to match the theme of linking generations together. Post cards designed by local artists including Grainne Knox can be downloaded from Facebook to colour in and pop in the post box.

The project has been well received as Nuala explained. She said: “Since we’ve created a Facebook group to gauge interest we have got replies from two nursery schools two primaries, an adult learning Centre and two nursing homes wanting to be involved, not to mention the amount of individuals also keen to get involved.

“It has the potential to be replicated through NI, and with that in mind we feel it would be a great benefit to both local schools and nursing home.”

The post box may move locations across Enniskillen but for the next few weeks can be found in McBride’s Spar, Chanterhill. Full details on how to use the kindness post box can be found on their Facebook group, ‘The Enniskillen Kindness Post Box.’