Local projects have been awarded more than £42,000 in community grant funding from Frome Town Council.
For the first time, funding includes a £10,000 pot administered entirely by members of a new Young Opinions Unite panel.
In total, 24 organisations have been given a community grant, including The Kindness Connection, a music group that brings together young children and older people, which received £563.66 for an intergenerational activity group.
Community musician and co-founder Willow Harwood said, “No matter what age you are, music connects us. It’s beautiful to see the different generations coming together and enjoying spending time with each other.”
Another organisation to receive a grant was Baby Connections, which has been given £2,000 towards Frome Baby Link, which offers support for parents aged 25 and under. Facilitator Alice Caudle said, “Baby Connections are really grateful to Frome Town Council for their contribution towards the Frome Baby Link project. The grant will support our work with parents aged 25 and younger in the Frome area through one-to-one coaching and visits to our partner groups like Frome Birth Talk groups, Tiny Hearts and Baby Connections.”
Wild Memories, Froglife’s nature-based group for people living with dementia, received a grant of £1,000 towards group costs. Zak Mather Gratton said, “Huge thanks to Frome Town Council for supporting our project, meaning we can continue our Wild Memories sessions. We enable people living with dementia to get outdoors, stay connected in community, and to help nature and wildlife.”
Mayor Anita Collier said, “Being part of the Grants Committee is one of the biggest pleasures and also one of the very hardest things I do as a councillor and mayor. There are always more deserving projects than there is funding and we hope we’ll be in a position to support some of the organisation we didn’t award grants to in the future. Thank you to everyone for your applications and telling us about the brilliant, important work you do to make Frome the place it is.”
Other organisations to receive community grants include: Somerset Art Works, £1,500 for empowering people through creative workshops; We Hear You cancer counselling charity, £3,000; Holy Trinity Church, £3,000 for a Debt Centre; Young People Frome, £1,950 for Multicultural Frome; Songs for the Memory, £1,000 for wellbeing sessions for families; Citizens Advice Somerset, £2,000 for the Frome service; Frome Carnival Committee, £1,000 for the Frome Carnival; Frome Town Women FC, £2,500 for a season-long programme of women’s football activities; Frome Community Productions CIC, £563.66 for updating studio broadcasting equipment; Edventure, £2,000 for its Frome base; Open Storytellers, £3,000 for Festival of Voices; Frome Festival, £563.66 for silver anniversary celebrations; The Pod Charity, £3,000 for Key Centre drop-in; The Good Heart, £2,640 for the Kind Kitchen and Everyone Needs Pockets was given £1,000 for new neighbourhood scale clothing and textile culture.
The Young Opinions Unite panel funded projects including Focus Frome’s young people’s drop-in and mental health support, Purple Elephant’s ‘Tea and Toasties’ group and a contribution to Frome Pride 2026.
For more information, visit frometowncouncil.gov.uk/event/grants-committee-6/.
