f your heart needs warming this February, head to the little red post box that has popped up in the WeWork building in St Peter’s Square today.
It’s part of a national campaign launched by experience gift company Red Letter Days, which aims to combat loneliness and spread a little love by encouraging the public to write Valentine’s Day cards to individuals who might not otherwise receive one this 14th February.
With over one fifth of the UK’s population admitting that they are always or often lonely (which amounts to a mammoth 9 million individuals across the country), Red Letter Days are harnessing the Valentine’s Day tradition to spread love and warm wishes to those who might need reminding that they’re not alone.
As well as sending cards to romantic partners, Red Letter Days want Manchester and the rest of the UK to take a moment to write a card to a total stranger whose day will no doubt be brightened by a thoughtful message, well wishes, or a funny story.
Cards can be posted, with the envelope unsealed, in one of ten bespoke Red Letter Days’ post-boxes, which can be found across Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham and London thanks to the generosity of offices, galleries and shops who have offered to house them. Manchester’s post box has been placed in the entrance to the WeWork building on St Peter’s Square, situated right in the heart of the city.
Cards will then be delivered to specially selected groups and individuals on Valentine’s Day. If you can’t make it to one of their locations, you can post a card instead to a dedicated address.*
Mathieu Proust, WeWork UK & Ireland’s General Manager, said:
“We’re excited to be partnering with Red Letter Days on their Valentine’s Day campaign this year, and are looking forward to seeing members of the public visit a participating WeWork and join our members in supporting this worthy and heartwarming mission.
“WeWork fosters collaboration amongst its global network of 400,000 members every day, and we know the powerful impact our community has in the neighbourhoods and city where we operate. It’s wonderful to think we can come together to spread cheer and thoughtfulness to the wider community, and this campaign offers a great opportunity to make Valentine’s Day a positive occasion for everybody.”
Red Letter Days’ Alison Vickery, said:
“For many people, Valentine’s Day is a fun and joyful occasion centring on love, affection and kindness. But for others, Valentine’s Day can exacerbate feelings of isolation and loneliness.
“This is why we’re encouraging members of the public to write a heartwarming message to a complete stranger this year, to help make Valentine’s Day an uplifting occasion for all. If you’re buying a Valentine’s Day card for your romantic partner, why not buy an extra one and post it in one of our special letterboxes? Your small and selfless act of kindness will make a huge difference to the recipient’s day, week, month and maybe even their year.
“It only takes a minute to write a card and spread some love; so we’d be delighted to see people taking the time to get involved, by sending message to somebody who might not otherwise enjoy the day. Help us make Valentine’s Day about more than just the romantic loves in our lives – by celebrating the love and kindness humanity can so easily show one another.”
How to get involved:
- Grab a Valentine’s Day card, write a kind and thoughtful message to an anonymous recipient, and post it in a Red Letter Days letter box (not a Royal Mail one!) in an unsealed envelope.
- You can also write a message on the spot using one of the cards provided alongside each letter box. Please note there are only a limited number of cards available in each location, so buy your own to avoid disappointment!
- Should you be unable to make it to one of the post box locations, post a card to ‘Red Letter Days Campaign, c/o Keyboards & Dreams, Ground Floor, 34-35 Hatton Garden, EC1N 8DX’, where a member of the Red Letter Days team will keep it safe and deliver it to somebody who’ll greatly benefit from your kind words
- Share a photo of yourself posting your card on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook, tagging @RedLetterDaysUK and using the hashtag #SpreadTheLove. Five people will be selected at random to win a Red Letter Days voucher for him or for her, which they can redeem on a once-in-a-lifetime experience of their choice!
