THE Covid pandemic has brought people in the North-East closer to their postal worker, with daily visits acting as a lifeline to some, research reveals.

Throughout the pandemic, there has been one constant thing you can count on: your post popping through your letterbox each day.

Now an online marketplace is giving you the chance to bag a 'postie pack' and say thank you to your postal worker in a campaign supported by singer Ronan Keating.

New research, commissioned by online marketplace notonthehighstreet, found friendships with the key workers being built and important in tackling loneliness. 

It found over a quarter (28 per cent) of people in the North-East are talking to their postie more than they did before lockdown in March.

One in five (20 per cent) plan to give their postie a Christmas gift this year.

Half (51 per cent) in the region say that they have relied on their postie more than usual since lockdown as they have sent and received more post, with a third (34 per cent) relying on things they have ordered to cheer themselves up and a quarter (25 per cent) saying that their happy postie makes them feel happy.

The picture is much of the same across the county, with 1.9m Brits now going so far as to call their postie a friend.

One in 10 (11 per cent) say that receiving post is the most exciting part of their day, 12 per cent rely on them as a familiar face to see every day, and over 1.5m Brits say they rely on their postie to stop them from being lonely.

It’s no surprise then that 15 per cent of the nation now know their postie by name, the highest of all the community workers tested.

Postal workers have worked harder than ever to keep people connected and small businesses thriving during the pandemic - with more than half of British adults (59 per cent) appreciating postal workers more as a result.

Thanks to their ongoing deliveries under extraordinary circumstances, a fifth (21 per cent) of the nation will gift their postal worker this year as a thank you.

In a bid to recognise the work of postal workers through the pandemic, notonthehighstreet is asking people to nominate their local postal worker to bag a Christmas thankyou package in a new campaign.

There are 5,000 ‘postie packs’ up for grabs, with notonthehighstreet encouraging North-East residents ‘reverse post’ it to their postie through the letterbox.

Each pack contains a chocolate bar made by a small business and an ‘ode to the postie’. They will be available from 10th November until stocks run out.

Ronan Keating said: “It’s amazing to see how many people are planning to give a little thanks this Christmas to posties who have been vital in keeping us smiling this year.

"As we head into the festive season under lockdown, I couldn’t be happier to be helping notonthehighstreet celebrate postal workers who are going to be busier than ever helping to keep the nation feeling connected.”

Visit www.notonthehighstreet.com/thank-your-postie to nominate posties and redeem a postie gift.