This week, we welcomed supporters, funders, partners and friends to our fifth annual JIGSAW June event.
The evening was a celebration of the life-changing impact JIGSAW has for children and young people with additional needs or disabilities, and their families. It was also a chance to reflect on how far we have come since launching our five-year strategy at our first JIGSAW June event in 2022.
Youth volunteers welcomed guests, hosted activities and a quiz, and delivered speeches designed to help attendees better understand sensory and anxiety needs. Their confidence, insight and willingness to share their experiences reminded everyone why our work matters.
We chose to do the sensory overload activity because we want to teach other people what it feels like to be a neurodiverse young person in stressful and busy situations. Whilst we were planning this activity one young person quoted “I feel disoriented when I am in busy places”. Hearing all the young people’s experiences and the lack of understanding there is around this area we decided that an activity that involves experiencing sensory overload was a great idea to spread awareness.
– Youth volunteer
Over the last two years, JIGSAW’s youth volunteers have contributed more than 1,000 hours to our cause and their community, receiving 36 awards in recognition of their efforts.
Because of all the support I have received from JIGSAW, I gained the confidence to get an apprenticeship in early years, become a finalist for the BYHA 2025 and loads more incredible opportunities. My long-term goal is to work with young people with additional needs which I gained more passion for by volunteering at JIGSAW.
– Youth volunteer
Growing our impact
In 2022–23, our first full year delivering services from the venue, our expenditure was £161,755. As we enter the fifth and final year of the strategy, expenditure is forecast to be £216,000.
When we moved into our current venue, we made a deliberate choice. While it came with higher costs, it represented our belief that children and young people with additional needs or disabilities deserved more opportunities, more support and stronger connections with their community.
Our five-year strategy set out how we would make that happen.
This growth reflects more than rising costs. It reflects our commitment to becoming stronger, more sustainable and more capable of meeting the needs of the families who rely on us.
Since launching the strategy, we have recorded more than 9,300 attendances across our services. Last year alone, we supported 713 individual people – 369 more than in the first year of our strategy. This number is already expected to increase further through projects such as the South Gloucestershire Holiday Activities and Food Programme and our Learning Difficulties Development Fund project.
Behind every statistic is a story: a child gaining confidence, a young person growing in independence, or a family discovering they are not alone.
JIGSAW is an absolute amazing charity who make you feel so loved, unjudged and just supported all the time. I started booking activities for the older 2 after being a member for a while and I just love that it included the whole family. It is a second family for Freddie and a safe place where he can thrive. Ceri is amazing and we are so glad to have met her. Freddie loves all the volunteers at the sensory group and when he starts school, he is going to miss them all so much.
– Parent carer member
Looking Ahead
As we begin the final year of our current 5-year strategy, we are already looking ahead. We will continue listening to families, working with the community to respond to growing need and investing in the potential of every child and young person who walks through our doors.
Like many charities, we face increasing costs and a changing funding landscape. We are starting this financial year in a positive position. Last year, JIGSAW recorded income of £224,000 against expenditure of £209,000, while continuing to reduce our reliance on restricted grant funding.
This strong position allows us to explore new income streams, review our reserves strategy and develop long-term plans that will help secure JIGSAW’s future.
Partnerships will continue to play a vital role. Through the South Gloucestershire Youth Work Partnership and our work with South Gloucestershire Council’s Youth Participation Team, we are creating new opportunities for young people while ensuring their voices are heard and valued.
At the heart of everything we do are the children, young people and families we exist for. Some attend activities occasionally, while others engage with us more than 50 times each year. Every interaction matters. Every young person is met with kindness, encouragement and opportunities to thrive.
Our CEO, Hattie, ended the event by saying
‘‘Finally, the most important thing I will say today is – thank you. However you support JIGSAW. Whether through donations, fundraising, partnerships, volunteering, or advocacy; you are doing far more than supporting a charity.
You are investing in opportunity.
You are investing in inclusion.
You are investing in a future where every child, young person, and family has the chance to thrive.
And together, we are proving that when a community come together and believes in its young people, extraordinary things happen.
Thank you for believing in JIGSAW. Thank you for investing in our future. And thank you for helping us transform lives every single day.’’
Support us!
As a small charity donations are very important to us. One-off donations or regular giving are a simple yet powerful way to support JIGSAW Thornbury. Every contribution helps us continue providing vital support for children and young people with additional needs or disabilities, and their families. You will create opportunities for them to connect, build confidence, and thrive in an inclusive community.
Click the button below to find out how your donation can make a difference.
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