Peterlee pupils ‘in awe’ after their kindness cookies are found as far away as Canada

Year 2 and 3 children at Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Primary School, in Peterlee, have been left astonished after people in Canada found their ‘kindness cookies’ and sent them a kind message in return.

The children have been making the decorative cookies, which contain uplifting messages, since England’s latest national lockdown and have been leaving them around Peterlee for people to find.

But when one of the cookies made it all the way to Consett after a factory worker brought it home from Peterlee, kids and teachers realised they could spread the joy across the globe.

They decided to send them to family members around the world with the first cookies already hidden in Canada and the USA and another pair, sent by Year 3 pupil Charlie Hind, travelling to Australia.

Charlie said: “I posted two kindness cookies to my cousin Katie who lives in Australia because I want to make people feel happy around the world.

"I asked her to hide the cookies in two good hiding spots that she knows.”

Susan Jones who started the project alongside fellow Year 2 and 3 teachers Jane Taylor and Rosie Dalton, posted two of the cookies to her friend Carolyn in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada.

By mid May two people who found the cookies had reached out to say thank you.

One of the responses read: “We were lucky to find this little treasure in our mailbox today in Brandon, MB, Canada. Thank you to Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Primary School for spreading your message of kindness around the world.”

The second one said: “So wonderful to find this beautiful message today in our mailbox here in Brandon, MB, Canada. Thank you to the students of Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Primary School in England, UK for their act of kindness.”

Mrs Jones has said the pupils were stunned to get a response. She said: “They were in awe, they just couldn’t believe it.”

She added: “I think it’s very rewarding. It’s special in my heart, quite overwhelming, really.”

Mrs Jones also posted two kindness cookies to her friend Kelly, who lives in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

Kelly hid them in Miami Beach, while on a holiday in Florida.

You can subscribe to this website and enjoy unlimited access to local news, information and puzzles online. With a digital subscription, you can read more than five articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Simply click ‘Subscribe’ in the menu.hart