For Arnold Intake’s Community Engagement event they decided to each write a postcard to a care home, specifically targeting homes with ex-military residents. The idea came from social media, where a movement called ‘Postcards of Kindness’ really resonated with one of the Intake Flight Staff, Sgt Amy Ingham.
Who said: “My family have had connections to care homes for as long as I can remember. My Grandmother ran a care home while I was growing up and my Mother has previously worked in the caring profession. I am all too aware of the acute loneliness some of the residents feel when they have no living relatives remaining, or in some cases family live too far away for regular visits; so these postcards are a true delight to receive when ordinarily they would have nothing.”
Image by: RAF Halton Photographic Section
The movement currently has 20,000+ members, with the premise being that the general public send a postcard from their holiday or any other event, to a care home that have requested them. Arnold Intake were able to send 79 postcards, each to a different home, and just in time for Christmas. The recruits hope to make a difference to someone’s day by letting them know they are appreciated and not forgotten. There are currently 1200+ care homes across the UK that have requested postcards so this is a small start of something that Arnold Intake intend to continue.
Each intake at Recruit Training Squadron, RAF Halton, takes on a Project where they will go out into the community and can be painting, weeding, planting trees and any other charitable help the community may have.
