Young get writing as elderly lament postal losses

THEY'VE GOT IT LICKED: Paige Elliot, 9, Hana van Wyck, 7, and Rebekah Frew, 6, St Michael's School students, are enjoying writing letters. PHOTO/BEN FRASER

Letter writing has been decreasing in popularity, leading to the removal of many Rotorua post boxes.

And the local Grey Power president says that is making life difficult for the elderly.

NZ Post has been removing post boxes all over the country as letter volumes decrease.

There were 90 post boxes in the Rotorua and Taupo region in 2008. Today there are 69, with 36 in Rotorua.

Rotorua Grey Power president Rosemary Mackenzie said most of the group's members communicated through the post.

Most would not have internet access or own a computer, she added.

"I think out of the national membership of about 1800 we would have about 300 who use the internet and email and contact in that way, but when we did a survey the majority wanted everything sent by post so obviously that generation's very much into wanting to read the written word."

She said the removal of post boxes would make life difficult for elderly.

"If it has been moved, it means a longer walk if you are capable of walking and if you are on a walking frame that makes it more difficult, otherwise you have to save up your correspondence.

"It will further isolate people, especially the recipients on the other end of the correspondence."

She said there was a resentment about the removal of post boxes.

NZ Post spokeswoman Lisa McDonald said the post boxes had been removed because the number of people writing letters had been steadily decreasing.

In the past nine years letter volumes had fallen from 1.2 billion a year to about half that, she added.

"Since before 2008 we have been monitoring the number of letters posted in post boxes nationally and removing those with very low usage." When deciding if a post box would stay, the proximity of nearby post boxes and post centres was taken into account.

"We are mindful of the needs of, for example, retirement villages."

Meanwhile, the community's youngest members have been getting involved with communicating with pen and paper.

A group of Year 4 to 6 students at St Michael's School has been writing letters and making cards for isolated elderly people in Rotorua.

Student Paige Elliot, 9, said she enjoyed writing to someone once a week as part of the programme.

"I like making the cards and I think it's special," she said.

St Michael's teacher Marion Brits had been getting her class of Year 2 students to write letters, many of whom had never penned letters before.

She said in her career as a teacher she had noticed children's writing skills had decreased.

"I think it's very important.

"I just really want to get them writing." Her students are also participating in Snail Mail Day, a national effort to get people to write a letter on June 13.

-For more information on Snail Mail Day, visit www.rainbowpoetry.co.nz-Editorial p12