Pupils sent thank you letters to Sussex NHS staff

The letters were delivered to three of the hospitals that help make up University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust: Worthing; the Royal Sussex County, in Brighton; and the Princess Royal in Haywards Heath.

They came from the class of Year 4 at St Mary’s Primary School and were the children’s own idea when they were asked by their teacher, Jamie Ellis, who would they most like ‘to thank and give a good feeling to’.

Jamie said: “We were doing a lesson on letter writing, showing children the joy of writing a letter and the impact it can have on people receiving it.

“We show the children how different it is to text and email messages and ask them to think about what they would like to say, the letter’s purpose, and we asked them who would they like to write to, who would they like to feel good.

“One of the children said, ‘Let’s write thank you letters to the doctors and nurses.’ The group got together and then said they wanted to thank everyone who works in the hospitals – whether they be surgeons or cleaners – for all the work they do and continue to do. The letters are their take on it, it’s what they want to say and they wanted to send them to the three UHSussex Hospitals and also Redhill.

“They are a thoughtful bunch of children as individuals and as a group. Some of the content they came up with is really insightful. I am really proud of them all.”

Dr Maggie Davies is chief nurse at UHSussex said: “It was really, really lovely to receive these letters. Everyone is really touched by the messages of thanks that have come from such young children.

“It’s been a tough time, it continues to be a tough time, and when letters like these come through the door, from primary school children, it really does make every one of us feel proud and a little bit better, helps us all keep going. I really want to say thank you back to the children, thank you very, very much.”

The messages were all handwritten and unique to each child.

Watch them read the letters at www.youtube.com/ atch?v=DfZAh0lz4WY&t=4s