A teenager who has devoted her spare time to making strangers in the North East smile is appealing for help to reach even more people.
Earlier this year, a young Newcastle City Centre worker decided to start cheering up others in the city by sharing anonymous notes filled with positivity. Documenting her initiative on the Instagram page randomkindnessncl, which now has close to 600 followers, she shows how people who find the notes contact her to say they 'made their day', with finders calling the letters 'just so lovely' or 'too freaking cute'.
The 18-year-old writer, asked us not to publish her name as she wants to remain as anonymous as possible, has now sent out hundreds of envelopes filled with heartfelt messages, usually beginning 'dear stranger'. Now she's asking for support in the form of donations or materials to allow her to keep sending even more letters.
Read more: The stories of the North East community heroes honoured in the Queens' Birthday list
She said: "When I first started this I didn't think much would come of it, but it's just gone absolutely mental. People have got in touch to ask me to write letters to loved ones, and that's had a massive response.
"I'm really enjoying what I'm doing, it's got bigger and bigger, and the letters can be a lot more personal when I send them, because I have an idea of who I'm writing to and what they're facing in their life. It gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling, knowing that this person is having a tough time and even though I don't know them, I'm helping in some way.
"It's amazing."
Starting off with just small positive messages in brown envelopes, she now sends long handwritten letters, using brightly coloured paper and envelopes, generally including small sweets, keyrings or other little gifts.
As well as receiving small amounts of money on her GoFundMe page, the writer has had materials sent to her thanks to an Amazon wishlist, and even had small local businesses contact her to offer stock of little gifts, such as keyrings or bathbombs, which she can share.
"People are sending envelopes and paper, I was absolutely over the moon," she said.
"It's all coming together and people are helping, which makes me really happy."
The engagement with her initiative shows the kindness of Geordies, she said, and how willing people are to help each other out.
She added: "Everyone is chipping in, I feel like it's all going as well as it possibly can. From starting off it just being a little note in a brown envelope it has really grown so much."
Money is being raised for the notes at: https://gofund.me/0eb67611
Read next:
