When Wentworth Wooden Puzzles, based in Malmesbury, released an exclusive jigsaw puzzle last July to say ‘Thank You’ to NHS staff and all the other key workers for their essential work during the Coronavirus crisis, little did they realise that the puzzle would be a runaway success.
The aim was to raise £3,000 to donate to their local charity, the Wiltshire Community Foundation’s Coronavirus Response Fund. However, the puzzle received such an overwhelming response from customers, that far exceeded anyone’s expectations. It sold out in all three sizes and raised over £12,000 – over four times the initial target.
“We are delighted with this result, and would like to thank everyone who purchased our Say Thank You With A Rainbow charity puzzle last year,” enthused managing director Sarah Watson. “While we hoped this puzzle would be popular, we did not expect the fantastic response that we had from our customers. With the added proceeds, we have decided to increase the amount donated to the Wiltshire Community Foundation, as well as make two additional £4,000 voluntary donations to other charities close to the business’s heart and cause, Mind and Dementia UK, with the remainder going to the Cotswold Home for Cats and Dogs.”
Creating the fundraising jigsaw puzzle, and being able to invest the resulting donations back to crucial charity work, highlight the importance to Wentworth of the role that jigsaw puzzles have played by providing entertainment and a mindful pastime, throughout the pandemic.
Continues Sarah: “The donations will help each charity continue to provide their vital work, such as Mind’s confidential telephone support service, Mind Infoline, for anyone experiencing a mental health problem, and Dementia UK supporting people and their famil families who are affected by dementia.
The exclusive and bespoke artwork for this puzzle, which Wentworth had specially commissioned, was created by British artist Julia Rigby. The colourful puzzle image evokes a bright and hopeful community feel, and the signature whimsy pieces of the puzzle reflected new symbols of the pandemic, such as a face mask, washing hands, and a heart and a rainbow.
“I was very excited to be asked to create a design for this particular brief,” says Julia. “I wanted to capture the community spirit that has sprung up among neighbourhoods during such a trying time and the sense of us all sharing this time in history and counting our blessing.”
Visit www.wentworthpuzzles.com
Top: Wentworth Puzzles fundraising ‘Say Thank You With A Rainbow’ charity puzzle.
