Thanks to support from the community and volunteering by our young members, we raised £4,034.31 towards our life changing impact through fundraising events in 2024.
This year, we need to raise more funds to keep up with the increasing need for our services. 138 families joined JIGSAW in 2024, including 240 children and young people with additional needs or disabilities and their siblings.
‘‘I am still in awe of how far we have come – and how crucial those early JIGSAW experiences were – moments of empathy and inclusion which were revolutionary for us at a time we were finding our world was shrinking in our efforts to meet Leo’s needs.’’
Our fundraising events and the huge impact they have can’t happen without the support of our community. This could be by attending an event, taking on a challenge to fundraise for us, making JIGSAW a charity of choice, working with us in innovative ways, match funding our fundraising efforts, or spreading the word so that more people know how to help.
Read on to find out how you can change the lives of local young people with additional needs or disabilities, and their families, by helping us make 2025 our most impactful year yet.
JIGSAW Thornbury is described as a lifeline by our member families who are dealing with exceptional challenges. Through supporting and empowering the whole family, we open up a world of opportunities that children, young people, and parents can explore. These are things that they have often lost hope of experiencing, yet are so readily accessible for their peers without additional needs.
2024 was a year of youth empowerment for JIGSAW with the launch of our youth volunteering scheme. In the last 9 months, young members have volunteered 269 hours helping to plan and run community fundraising events and deliver some of our services. This has provided valuable opportunities for our young people with additional needs or disabilities to grow in skills and confidence. We are delighted that 7 of our young members will be receiving the South Gloucestershire Youth Volunteering Award in February in recognition of their contributions and self-development.
‘‘Being a young volunteer has pushed me to do things I would never have been able to do without JIGSAW being there supporting me all the way’’
We are proud to play a vital role in the community of Thornbury and wider South Gloucestershire. All our fundraising events provide a safe and fun space for local people to come together to share experiences. We are delighted that JIGSAW Thornbury has been recognised for our role in the community by making it through to the finals of the Thornbury Mayor’s Awards in the ‘Community Hero’ caetgory.
Save the date
Here’s a summary of our key fundraising events for 2025. Make a note in your diary so you can be involved in their success!
Saturday 25th January – Jolly JIGSAW Get Together, 11am – 1pm. Support our campaign to boost wellbeing and tackle isolation in our community. Come along to enjoy some food and drink served by our young volunteers.
Saturday 29th March JIGSAW Jaunt, 11am – 2pm. Have fun taking on a new challenge by following clues to discover points of interest along the accessible 5km route. Complete them all to solve a spring-themed phrase and enter the draw to win a month-long membership at Elite Fitness Thornbury. Thanks to support from the gym, everyone who comes along to the event will receive a free week-long membership to keep their fitness journey moving.
Saturday 3rd May Thornbury Community Dog Show, 10am – 4pm. Returning for a 2nd year due to popularity! There will be something for every dog and human, from best condition to best dressed and even a game of musical sits!
Monday 23rd June JIGSAW June Supporter Event. A moment to say thank you to our key supporters for the part you have played in our impact and update you on our plans for the future. Enjoy a networking lunch before hearing from some of our young members.
Friday 11th July Fundraising Golf Day. A new event for 2025 at Thornbury Golf Centre with tee times from 8:30am. Get your team together for a Texas Scramble, enjoy a 2 course meal, and see if you can win competitions throughout the day.
Saturday 16th August Elite Fitness Tough Mudder. Take on 25 obstacles over 8-10 miles to conquer the infamous assault course as part of a team.
In addition, our youth-led Community Café is held on the 4th Saturday of each month, 11am until 1pm (excl. April, August, December). These events are a great time to pop in and meet some of our team, whilst relaxing with some food and drink served by our young people. Our SENsory Lending Library is always open to browse during these times too.
You can also look out for us at Thornbury Carnival, Krunch Summerfest, Thornbury Fun Palaces and the Thornbury Christmas Light Switch On again this year.
New year, new charity of choice?
We are delighted to announce that we have been chosen by Phoenix Fun Events as one of the charities they will support through fundraising this year. We look forward to hearing about and joining in with their events throughout the year.
Another exciting new venture is with K&A Content Agency. They have pledged to gift a one hour photo or video session to JIGSAW Thornbury and the families we support every time one is brought by any individual or organisation. So, if you are thinking of having a photo or video session, please consider K&A Agency to help support our charity.
If you know any groups or organisations who are looking for a charity to support this year, please put JIGSAW Thornbury forward. Fundraising can be done in lots of ways from taking on a team challenge, holding a series of fundraising events throughout the year, sponsoring one of our existing events, or making a charitable donation. For inspiration and resources take a look at our fundraising webpage: https://www.jigsawthornbury.org.uk/fundraise-for-us/
Look out for opportunities to support us through our social media pages, or get in touch at any time by emailing community@jigsawthornbury.org.uk
Together, we can make 2025 our most impactful year yet for young people with additional needs or disabilities, and their families!