The Kindness Connection - Bridging Generations Through Music in Frome

In a quiet room at Catherine House, something rather special happens.

Children shuffle in, sometimes shy at first. Residents sit waiting, some curious, some quietly reserved. Then the music begins. A familiar melody fills the space, and everything shifts.

This is The Kindness Connection, an inclusive intergenerational music group founded by Willow Harwood, created to bring people together through song, joy and shared humanity.

Music That Connects

The aim is simple, yet powerful: to boost mood, break down barriers between generations and nurture kindness and empathy in young children.

The Kindness Connection currently meets once a month in Frome and twice a month at a care home in Paulton. When sessions take place at Catherine House, families with young children are invited to join residents in making music together.

And the transformation can be extraordinary.

Willow regularly witnesses remarkable changes in residents living with dementia. Songs long tucked away in memory are suddenly recalled in full. Faces light up. Hands tap along to the rhythm. By the end of each session, the room is filled with warmth, laughter and connection.

Residents are said to eagerly await the visits, often continuing to talk about them long after the music has stopped.

A Two-Way Gift

What makes The Kindness Connection so moving is that the benefits flow both ways.

For residents, the sessions spark memory, joy and social connection. For children, they offer something just as valuable: confidence, empathy and a genuine understanding of community.

There is something quietly powerful about a toddler and an elderly resident singing the same song, sharing eye contact, sharing laughter. In those moments, age becomes irrelevant. What remains is simple human connection.

Growing Something Beautiful

Willow’s ambition is to grow The Kindness Connection further in Frome, connecting with more families and more care homes, and making sessions accessible to low-income households through funded spaces. She is currently raising funds to support this next stage.

Looking ahead, she also hopes to publish a children’s picture book inspired by the sessions and record an album of the music they share.

It is grassroots, heartfelt work. And it feels very Frome.

Support The Kindness Connection

As The Kindness Connection grows, Willow is now raising funds to expand the project across Frome and beyond. The aim is to offer funded spaces for low-income families, connect with more care homes and make intergenerational music accessible to as many people as possible.

If you’ve ever seen the power of music to lift a room, spark memory or bring people together, this is a project worth backing.

You can support the campaign here: 👉 Crowdfunder.

Every share, donation and conversation helps this circle of kindness grow a little wider.

And you can watch Willow share more about the project in this short film:

If you would like to find out more, support the project, or join a session, you can follow The Kindness Connection on Instagram: @thekindness.connection.

In a world that can often feel divided, this small circle of song is gently proving that connection, kindness and community are still very much alive in Frome.

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If you’re running a community initiative in Frome that deserves to be shared, we’d love to hear from you (email becky@fabulousfrome.co.uk). Fabulous Frome exists to celebrate the people quietly making our town shine.