Letters To Heaven box to be installed in Mossley

Anthony Barton Independent Family Funeral Services has launched a new initiative to help people that want to send a letter to somebody that passed.

The concept came about for the letters to heaven box after a nine-year-old girl wanted a way to talk to her grandparents, and since it has taken off across the nation. One in Sheffield had success in 2023 and was covered by national news, so now thanks to Anthony Barton the scheme will be implemented in Top Mossley.

Anthony Barton Independent Family Funeral Services has been open since November 2023. He told us more about his decision to open a new premises under his name. “I came from a local funeral director which was bought out by corporate, so I decided to open a family run business. It is going well so far; I am doing a lot with the community as well. I don’t want funeral directing to be a morbid platform, I do a lot with the town team such as litter picking as well.”

Anthony has been involved with Mossley’s community for a long time, and when the idea for letters for heaven came around, he had to jump at the opportunity. Anthony initally posted the idea onto The Real Mossley Facebook page, and it was an instant hit for him. Anthony said that the response was “overwhelmingly positive”, with only about two negative comments and around one hundred and fifty comments praising the idea.

“I saw that these were quite popular online with funeral directors and crematoriums,” Anthony told us, “But the reason that I did it is that I used to look after a lady’s’ ashes and every year she would come in with Christmas cards, Mother’s Day cards etc. That was whilst working at my previous place, and I started to wonder how she was doing now, and with it having just passed mother’s day I had a look at these post boxes and thought it would be a good idea for people, as people grieve in different ways and if it brings comfort to people then it must be a good thing.”

“They have rolled out throughout the country, I bought this cast iron one off Amazon and it will be placed on the outside of the premises in a place where no one will walk into it.”

The box will be installed this week, and Anthony told us ““They have rolled out throughout the country, I bought this cast-iron one-off of Amazon, and it will be placed on the outside of the premises in a place where no one will walk into it.”

“Anyone is free to use it, once it is full it will be emptied and the letters will be mulched for compost which Mossley town team will then use in the flower beds around town. None of the letters will be read and we will not open them at all.”

With Mossley Town Team having kindly agreed to use the compost for the planters, the scheme will give back to more people in the community. If you want to visit the location, head to the outside of Anthony Barton Independent Family Funeral Service. All letters are posted discreetly thanks to the box being on the outside of the building.