THE DUCHESS OF CORNWALL’S NIECE ALICE IRWIN TELLS OF THE PEN-PAL PROJECT THAT HAS INSPIRED CHILDREN — AND WON A ROYAL FAN

‘A letter is so gentle and gives you a sense that someone has really thought about you‘

Every few weeks, Alice Irwin’s 11-year-old daughter Violet looks forward to a letter dropping on their doormat in Wiltshire. Sent by an elderly lady in a local care home, it is full of chat about pets, travel and an array of interests the two have in common. Alice, who is the niece of the Duchess of Cornwall, has been encouraging Violet and her 15-year-old brother