Your Old Mate comes from a generation where washing machines lasted longer than 5 years, kids respected their elders, and people made time to write letters to one another.

Writing letters with your Old Mate (either just at the same time, or written together) is a nice way to bond and remind your Old Mate of the social networks they have. It might be to a family member, friend, neighbour, or even their local barista.

This activity is particularly good for Old Mates with limited mobility as it can be done from the comfort of home.

The key to this activity is keeping it simple. The letters don't need to be 'War and Peace': A simple note to say hi, a reflection on recent events, or to ask questions are all great foundations to write a letter.

Important

For a variety of reasons like poor eyesight or arthritis, writing might be challenging for your Old Mate. Therefore this activity could be modified by them dictating the letter to you. NB: Some Old Mates might be shy or even a little embarrassed by these physical limitations, so make sure you approach this sensitively and thoughtfully.

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Inspiration

· To keep this activity going between visits, set each other a goal of writing a letter(s) to each other in between visits. These letters may just be simple updates of what you've gotten up to each day. It'll finally give you a reason to get excited about opening your letterbox to something other than bills.

· As a variation, you could always write letters to your future selves, too! This is a great way to set goals and to help you Old Mate project towards the things they want to do and experience. Future Postbox allows you to do this digitally.

· Everyone loves to receive letters, so you can even write to someone that you and your Old Mate see every day! It doesn't need to be to some long-lost aunt neither of you have seen in 10 years.

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