Our Story

It all started with babies, biscuits and Wind The Bobbin Up

In 2017, Louise Goulden was on maternity leave in east London. Like so many first-time parents, having a baby was a life-changing experience that, along with the joys, brought about feelings of isolation and loneliness.

To combat this, Louise sought out moments of connection while out and about with the buggy - a chat in a supermarket queue, or on the bus - often with older generations who also found their day brightened by exchanging a few words with a friendly stranger.

Louise loved feeling part of her local community and looked for other ways she could do this with her baby in tow - but she couldn’t find anything that felt like the right fit. So she decided to set up a group bringing parents and guardians of young children together with older adults living in care homes.

The group - which became known as Songs & Smiles - was an instant hit, creating heartwarming friendships through the power of music, movement and chats over tea and biscuits at the end.

Louise then set up The Together Project (first as a CIC, now a registered charity), an organisation that would address loneliness and age segregation for all generations through a range of programmes and initiatives. Songs & Smiles was its first offering, which has grown from its grassroots origins to become a nationwide movement spreading joy to hundreds of people every week. It was joined by several other programmes, such as Crafting Connections and We are Friends, with many more initiatives planned for the coming years.

Our Registration and Funding

The Together Project is registered with the Charity Commission in England and Wales and our charity number is 1192175. We were originally established as a non-profit Community Interest Company in 2017 and received charitable status in November 2020.

We're financed by a mixture of trade income, grants, donations and local authority contracts.

Donations are an incredibly important source of income for us. If you'd like to help fund our work, you can give a one-off or regular payment via credit/debit card or Paypal. Visit our Personal donations page - it's quick and simple!

“Research shows that every £1 invested in tackling loneliness can save £3 in health costs.”

— Mcdaid, Bauer, & Park, 2017

“We have been proud as a funder to have played a small part in the Together Project’s impressive development and have found them a great partner to work with. Louise as CEO and Kelly as Chair are both approachable, engaging, and constantly looking to improve, grow, and develop at all levels with the organisation. They have the respect and support of a brilliant team around them and crucially, they are making a real, tangible impact on the lives of older people, bringing them connection, engagement, and joy. Through their diligent reporting and earnest approach, we have absolute confidence that our funding is making a difference, ensuring that The Together Project’s work can continue well into the future.”

— Graeme Marsh, MSc, DChA, Head of Foundation, McCarthy Stone Foundation