BROWNIES have been thanked by elderly and retired people and intensive care staff for their letters and rainbow pictures.

The letters of friendship were part of a project by Helen Kynnersley as part of her role as Brownie Leader at 1st Mobberley Brownies and Mobberley Neighbourhood Watch Administrator.

Helen said: “The letter-writing initiative with the Brownies was designed to reach those known to us to be self-isolating, in an attempt to bring some cheer to them at a time when many could be struggling with the isolation.

“It also enabled the Brownies to ‘serve their community’, something they pledge to do as part of their Brownie Promise.

“The Brownies sent their letters and pictures to me, and I was able to scan images of them, enabling me to send multiple copies to Sunrise of Mobberley, Warford Park Retirement Properties and Leycester House.

“We have had many wonderful responses back in letter form, which the Brownies have been so excited to read, from residents who have taken great joy and comfort in their letters and drawings.

“In addition to sending letters to those in isolation, we were approached by Lisa Barker, a Mobberley resident, who is a Nursing Sister at the Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit at Wythenshawe hospital to see if we would like to send our letters to them to decorate their staff room with.

“We jumped at the opportunity and have again been humbled by the response we have received from them.”

Nursing Sister Lisa Barker wrote to the Brownies: “Thank you so much for the beautiful pictures and messages you sent to us.

“The Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit is usually a busy place to work but we have been under even more pressure to work extremely hard since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

"We are all working long hours and doing our very best to get the patients better.

“We have happy days and sad days, but we all work hard to look after each other and to keep our spirits up.

"Your messages have really helped to boost our spirits and we will enjoy reading them over and over again.”

Helen is working with Mobberley Neighbourhood Watch in conjunction with members of the parish council and the local churches to provide the Mobberley Covid-19 Support Group.

She added: “As well as providing shopping, prescription and errand services, a fully-stocked food bank facility, which we are now collaborating with the Welcome Cafe Knutsford to provide, and making welfare telephone call services to those in isolation, the support group has numerous initiatives designed to encourage members of the community to help with schemes while in the safety and comfort of their homes.

“Other initiatives the support group is involved in are sewing scrubs for Leycester House. We also have knitters and sewers making headbands, ear saviours, scrubs’ wash bags and knitted comfort hearts for Macclesfield and Wythenshawe Hospitals.

“Many of the volunteers are members of the local Mobberley Knit and Natter Group.

“As administrator for Neighbourhood Watch and in turn the Covid-19 Support Group I was thrilled to receive a thank you from the Lord Lieutenant of Cheshire on behalf of the Queen thanking us for our continued efforts within the community."