A Christmas message from everyone at JIGSAW Thornbury!
Our team have been busy spreading festive cheer over the last few weeks with Christmas wellbeing sessions for parent carers, inclusive Father Christmas visits with help from our popular therapy ‘rein-dog’, and Secret Santa at our youth clubs. Some of our young members have been out in the community, enjoying a Christmas meal at The Swan to celebrate their progress and holding a special evening at Beech House Care Home, sharing their skills through games, Makaton carols, and a Christmas poem. You might have spotted our JIGSAW Elf each morning on social media too, spreading awareness through a special Makaton advent calendar. Keep an eye out on our socials for the last few days of Elfish fun!
We will be continuing to spread the festive cheer with our digital Christmas card. It’s easy to use and a kinder, greener way to send your festive wishes. Click the link below, make a donation to our Winter Giving campaign, and download one, or both, of our digital Christmas card options that can be sent to family and friends by email, message, or on social media.
JIGSAW Thornbury Winter Giving Campaign
This time of year is often one to reflect back over the last 12 months. Being awarded the Thornbury Mayor’s Award for Community Organisation in recognition of our impact as a charity was a huge highlight and a wonderful start to the year. Another highlight was achieving our level 2 Disability Confident Employer status. This has been fantastic way to recognise the considerations we put in place for accessibility and inclusion.
We set out to make 2025 our most impactful year yet by working more closely with our supporters and the local community to increase fundraising towards our vital services. It has been fun and rewarding to build new connections and deepen existing ones. Many of these connections came together around our first ever Purple Party – an evening inviting all our JIGSAW friends to celebrate in style. Our Youth Volunteers led the first part of the evening with fundraising games, bingo, and sharing their JIGSAW journeys. They have now almost reached a combined total of 900 hours of volunteering since we started the scheme in April 2024!
You can read more about this youth-led fundraising success in our Purple Party blog by clicking the link below:
Youth volunteers shine at JIGSAW Thornbury’s first-ever Purple Party
We are looking forward to celebrating more fundraising successes and sharing our plans for 2026 in January, so watch this space!
Christmas can be an exciting and joyful time, but can sometimes feel overwhelming – noisy places, busy shops, different routines, lots of people, new sounds, smells and activities. Feeling stressed doesn’t mean you have done anything wrong. It means your feelings need support. JIGSAW have created a booklet to help manage stress over Christmas. This is primarily aimed at parents to use with their children but might be helpful in other ways too. You can get your free online copy by clicking the link below: 
JIGSAW Christmas booklet for parents and carers
Finally, we extend a heartfelt thank you for your support and engagement throughout the year. The special impact JIGSAW has for hundreds of families simply can’t happen without you – whether you attend our services or contribute to the running of them through funding and donations or as a valued team member.
We wish you, and your family and friends, a joyful and relaxing festive break.