More than £12,000 has been raised for good causes through sales of a jigsaw puzzle.
Last July, Wentworth Wooden Puzzles, based in Malmesbury, released an exclusive puzzle, to say ‘Thank You’ to NHS staff and other key workers for their work during the coronavirus crisis.
The aim was to raise £3,000 for Wiltshire Community Foundation’s Coronavirus Response Fund but after he puzzle sold out in all three sizes it has raised over four times the initial target.
Sarah Watson, managing director of Wentworth Puzzles said: “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.
"Whilst 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, and the remainder going to the Cotswold Home for Cats and Dogs."
Fiona Oliver, joint chief executive of Wiltshire Community Foundation said: “We are really thankful to Wentworth for its generous donation. The design of the jigsaw was wonderful and we are not surprised it sold so well.
"This donation to our Wiltshire and Swindon Coronavirus Response Fund, which has distributed more than £1.1 million through more than 200 grants, enabled us to help groups like Heals of Malmesbury respond to the need in their communities as well as overcome the financial challenges of the pandemic."
Volunteers from Heals of Malmesbury, who organised hot food deliveries with the assistance of The Red Bull Pub
Dr. Hilda Hayo, CEO and chief admiral nurse at Dementia UK said: “Families with dementia have been adversely affected by lockdown for just over a year now. The support and donations of Wentworth Wooden Puzzles is invaluable as it will enable us to provide dementia specialist admiral nurses to the families that need help the most.”
Emma Ihsan, head of corporate partnerships at Mind, added: “We are really grateful to Wentworth Puzzles for this donation.
"The pandemic is having a huge impact on our mental health, especially for those of us with existing mental health problems, and many of us are struggling with isolation, stress, grief, financial worries and fears about the future.
"This donation will help us to keep our vital services running, including Mind Infoline and our online peer support community for adults, Side by Side, so that we can be there for as many people who need us as possible.”
The artwork for the puzzle was created by Julia Rigby.
Say Thank You with a Rainbow charity puzzle
"I was very excited to be asked to create a design for this particular brief,” she said.
“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.”
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