'A small act of kindness can make the world a better place'

The last year has been a difficult time for many, but lots of people have used it as an opportunity to find ways to help others.

17-year-old Nina founded the charity Community Senior Letters last April following the introduction of the first lockdown in the UK.

The student decided to start the project after recognising that the elderly were likely to be feeling a lot lonelier because of restrictions on visits to care homes.

As part of the ongoing project, primary schools across the UK have been paired up with care homes, and pupils are given the opportunity to write personalised letters which are sent to care home residents to help lift their spirits.

So far, over 210 care homes and more than 240 schools in London, Manchester, Bristol, Cambridge, Edinburgh and Dublin have taken part in the Community Senior Letters project.

Children from right across the world have been getting involved in the letter writing project

It's proven so successful that it's recently started pairing up care homes in the UK with international schools based in countries including Spain, Japan, Dubai, Kenya and Greece.

"My plans for the future are to expand this letter writing community and get as many old and young people involved as possible," Nina told Newsround.

"A small act of kindness such as sending a letter can make the world a better place."

Have you given letter writing a go? Would you be up for trying it out? Let us know in the comments!