The Good Heart celebrated its sixth birthday on Thursday 25th July, with a Kindness Pass the Parcel party at the Boyle Cross for those in the community.
Located on Palmer Street, The Good Heart is a not-for-profit community group that runs a number of community initiatives, including the annual Kindness Festival, which happens in March.
“Our birthday was a simple and joyful celebration,” explained director of The Good Heart, Alison Murdoch.
“The rain stopped just in time for the mayor of Frome and his wife to join 30 children, families and members of The Good Heart’s Kindness Crew.
“We decorated the Boyle Cross with balloons and enjoyed a game of Pass the Parcel around the fountain with kindness messages and gifts between each layer. Afterwards, we gave away ice creams to passers-by, as well as eating some ourselves, of course.”
Initiatives The Good Heart has set up over the past six years and continues to run include a Pay it Forward Cafe, a Tiny Hearts morning for under-fives and their parents or carers, a Men’s Circle, a monthly dying matters drop-in for people who are grieving and an Open Mental Health morning.
At this year’s Kindness Festival, Alison says that it reached out to over 3,000 children and young people in local schools, ran 55 kindness-themed events and created the Kind Bank pop-up in the middle of town.
“Next year’s Kindness Festival will take place from 15th to 22nd March 2025, with recruitment for the festival manager(s) starting next month,” said Alison.
“Everything The Good Heart does depends on what local people ask for and are willing to lead or support.”
In response to many requests, tea and toasties will be a new free drop-in that the group will be starting in September for young people aged 12+ after school on Tuesdays. There are also other schemes starting too, including an Introduction to Meditation course on Tuesday evenings in September and October to complement the existing morning online Heartspace meditation sessions.
Alison said, “Frome Town Council has also just awarded The Good Heart funding to set up the Frome Grief Network, which will publicise and strengthen support services in the town for anyone who’s been bereaved.
“You will also find The Good Heart in the Walking Festival, with its new Kindness Tour of Frome, and in the Carnival. And no doubt there’ll be more!”
To keep up with the latest news, readers can join the mailing list at www.thegoodheart.uk or follow The Good Heart on Facebook and Instagram.
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