Previous letters pages can be found here.

Letters page from Volume 4, issue 22.
November 21st – December 4th, 1956.

OUR

LETTER PAGE

I have given this page up to letters from my Sunbeams this time. Aren’t they interesting?

A letter from Sheila Brown, Glasgow, N.W.
Dear Miss Blyton,
Please find enclosed 21s. for the Sunshine Homes. I earned this money by selling firewood at 3d. a bundle. I do this every Saturday morning, and have now got regular customers. At school my teacher asked me to talk to the class about my hobby, so I told them all about your Homes for the Blind Boys and Girls, and that I sell firewood to try and help to raise money, and my teacher and class were very interested. I do hope that some of the boys and girls in my class will join the Sunbeams too.
Love from Sheila Brown.

(A fine letter, Sheila, about a fine ideal. I am sending you my Best Letter prize.)

A letter from Jill Elliott and Dilys Winocour, Scunthorpe.
Dear Miss Blyton,
I and Dilys held a show of foreign dolls, musical boxes and wood carvings, and I now send you £3 12s. 6d. which is the profit we made. We are both Sunbeams, and want you to give the money to the blind children.
Yours truly,
Jill and Dilys.

(You must have held a truly wonderful show, children, to make so much money. I really do congratulate you!)

A letter from Linda Skidmore, Dudley, Worcesteshire.
Dear Enid Blyton,
I am very sorry I can only send Is. for the blind babies, but I can’t do much for them because I had an accident and was in hospital for months. I can only walk on crutches at present. Give all my love to the children, please.
Love from
Linda Skidmore.

(I am very proud of your shilling, Linda – it may be worth only twelve. pennies, but it is worth its weight in gold in kindness of heart. I hope you are much better now.)

A letter from Margaret Grimes, Shepperton, Middlesex.
Dear Miss Blyton,
I am sending you £1 in aid of the Sunbeams. I saved up a few pennies each week out of my pocket-money, and hope it will help to bring sunshine to your little blind children.
Love from
Margaret Grimes.

(It must have taken you weeks to save so much, Margaret. You are truly kind.)

The theme of these letters is not particularly surprising as the Sunbeam Society was set up for children to raise funds for Blind children.

Blyton set out how it worked in Magazine Annual #2. As below a child would have to pay a shilling (plus a stamp) to get a badge and be a member. This would obviously raise funds, and then they were encouraged to raise other money by doing all sorts of activities like the ones above and anything else children could think of!