If you've ever spotted a colourful handmade gift tucked away somewhere around Calne, you may already have come across Kindness in Calne.
The group has been spreading little moments of happiness around the town for several years, leaving everything from pompom gonks and bookmarks to positive keyrings for people to discover, usually accompanied by a cheerful handwritten note.
But the idea that has brought smiles to so many people began with one small discovery during a walk - and at a time when founder Dawn was struggling herself.
The project was started by Dawn in early 2022, when she was going through a difficult period in her life after undiagnosed ADHD and the menopause coincided and had a significant impact on her mental health. She found that walking gave her a way to relax, although she was struggling to enjoy the crafts she had previously loved.
Then, on a walk with her daughter, she noticed something hanging from a tree.
It was a clear packet containing a green crocheted alien keyring and some comforting words from Random Acts of Crocheted Kindness.
“I was so pleased and it made me so happy - I'd never seen one before or since,” Dawn said.
After looking the group up on Facebook, Dawn's daughter suggested she could do something similar in Calne and help cheer up other people.
“I loved the idea and started making items to hide straight away, and that's how Kindness in Calne started.”
For nearly two years, Dawn made every gift, handwrote every note and hid the items around Calne herself.
She initially chose to remain anonymous because she felt insecure about herself. A BBC Radio Wiltshire interview later helped her confidence to grow, and she began to realise just how much her small gestures could mean to the people who found them.
Today, Kindness in Calne has 15 members, ranging in age from 18 to 80. They all have different lives and commitments, but share a love of crafts and each contributes in their own way.
Some members crochet, others make cards or work with beads, while one member helps by packing stickers for the group.
The group tries to hide gifts in as many different areas of Calne as possible, keeping the locations completely random so that people can come across them unexpectedly while out and about.
They also make a point of checking afterwards that the gifts have been found, so that nothing is left behind as litter.
People who discover one of the group's gifts are encouraged to contact Kindness in Calne through Facebook and show them what they have found. Their name is then added to the group's monthly draw.
The reactions can be incredibly meaningful, and Dawn says some people have found their gift at exactly the moment they needed it.
She remembers hiding some bookmarks when a message came through from a woman who had lost her dog the previous day. Her daughter had been unable to stop crying.
On the way to school, they found a dog bookmark.
“Her daughter was so pleased,” Dawn said.
It is moments like that which continue to show Dawn why the project matters.
“I couldn't believe how much my small gifts meant to people who found them,” she said.
“They're only small gifts, but they're a lot more to the people who find them.”
The number of gifts being made and hidden varies depending on the weather and how busy the group is making items for its stall, but there are plenty of ways for new people to become involved.
Kindness in Calne is always looking for crafty people of all ages, as well as people who enjoy walking and would like to help hide gifts. The group also needs people to help run its stalls and with the general running of Kindness in Calne.
And you don't have to be crafty to take part.
People can help by walking around Calne and hiding gifts, helping at stalls or supporting the group with its other activities.
Dawn would also like to see Kindness in Calne develop further, with the group hoping to eventually establish a local craft club.
The idea would be for different members to teach different crafts each week, while people who don't want to take part in the crafting could simply come along to watch, chat and spend time together.
It had been part of the group's plans for 2026, but surgery meant the idea had to be put on hold.
For Dawn, Kindness in Calne has become about much more than making and hiding handmade gifts. It helped her through a difficult period in her own life, gave her confidence and allowed her to use her love of crafts to do something positive for other people.
“For me, doing this pulled me through a really hard time and helped my general confidence improve,” she said.
“Being kind has a positive impact and it is important to spread as much kindness as possible.”
Anyone interested in getting involved with Kindness in Calne can contact the group through its Facebook page, Kindness in Calne.
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