Threads of Kindness

Connection and belonging through shared creativity

The Threads of Kindness project invited community volunteers to make handmade gifts for café owners in Longton who had moved to the town from elsewhere. Using simple, shared making, the project created space for conversation, welcome and relationship-building, strengthening connections across the town centre.

By winter 2024, volunteers had crafted and shared over 150 friendship bracelets, each made with care and intention. To extend the project beyond organised sessions, Friendship Bracelet Making Kits were created and distributed across Longton, allowing more people to take part in their own time.

The kits were hosted at local cafés and community spaces — including The Moony Club, The Moroccan Café, Café Delight, and Britannia Café — turning everyday venues into creative outreach hubs. Each location offered a different colour palette, encouraging participants to move between spaces and continue conversations across the town.

The project was supported by commissioned artists We Are Makers — Odette Campbell and Ruth Turnbull — who delivered artist-led craft workshops and helped shape a welcoming, inclusive atmosphere for participants of all ages and abilities. Their facilitation centred care, skill-sharing and confidence-building through accessible making.

Alongside gift-making, Threads of Kindness supported creative skill development, built trust with independent businesses, and created opportunities for future exhibitions and public sharing. The project demonstrated how modest materials and gentle creativity can foster belonging — weaving care, welcome and connection through Longton’s everyday spaces.