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2024-03-31-annual-report

JIGSAW Northern Ireland Annual Report 2023-2024

Office 4b Townsend Enterprise Park 28 Townsend Street BELFAST BT13 2ES

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Contents

Page No.
Company Information 3
Introduction 4
Mission Statement, Aims and Objectives 5
Structure of Jigsaw NI 6
Jigsaw NI Arts 7
Swimming & Exercise in Water 9
Boccia 10
Fitness/Boccia Class 12
Summer Activities 13
Comments 14
Highlights over the past year 15
Acknowledgements 16

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Company Information

Address:

Jigsaw N.I. Office 4b, Townsend Enterprise Park 28 Townsend Street Belfast BT13 2ES

Telephone Company Register Number Northern Ireland Charity Number Recognised as a Charity by HMRC

028 90 319054 NI035612 NIC100074 Charity Commission for NI XR 29513

Jigsaw (Northern Ireland) is a company limited by guarantee

Board of Directors

Chairperson Honorary Secretary Treasurer Director Director Director Director Director

George Briggs Alison Moss Nora Harte Fionnuala McCaughley Terry Woodside Sharon Gillespie Mairéad O’Halloran Anita Deery

Employees

Manager Programme Assistant Programme Co-ordinator

Clare McQuiston Liz Bowman Rachel McDade

Accountant

Daniel G Walsh Office 1, Townsend Enterprise Park 28 Townsend Street, Belfast BT13 2ES

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Introduction

Jigsaw NI began working as ACORN in 1990, providing a range of services to its service users who are adults with varying disabilities including brain injury, sensory impairment, physical disability etc. Quite often, our service users have experienced social exclusion and may have spent many years at home with little or no daytime activity outside the house. ACORN became Jigsaw NI, a company limited by guarantee with charitable status accorded by the Inland Revenue in February 1999. In 2002 the work of Jigsaw NI was recognised with an MBE for its manager at that time, in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List.

Jigsaw NI’s range of services for its users are: Community Art and Physical Activity classes, including Exercise in water, Fitness, Boccia and Swimming. Most service users live in the greater Belfast and North Down area. The activities are held in local leisure centres and community centres. Many of our activities take place in areas of urban deprivation.

We currently have 11 groups running throughout Belfast and 2 groups running in the North Down area on a weekly basis over forty weeks of the year. Jigsaw NI groups are made up of 8-14 members (depending on ability/assistance required) with different forms of disabilities and each activity is accompanied by a communal lunch/tea break. We feel that this “personal touch” distinguishes Jigsaw NI from many other providers in this field. Physical Activity classes are provided for approximately 110 people every week. Approx 55 service users currently participate in Community Art classes on a weekly basis.

Thankfully, following a couple of very strange and disruptive years, our services have been running at full capacity for a third year running, with no lockdowns or circuit breakers required. We are hoping this will continue moving forward.

Jigsaw NI places great importance on the quality of relationship between Jigsaw NI staff and our service users. Service users are contacted before the class they attend, to remind them of their upcoming class and to confirm travel arrangements. Conversations very often develop and give service users the opportunity to talk about matters of importance to them. A sense of group belonging is always encouraged, and Jigsaw NI emphasise the need for social inclusion as well as the need for activity.

Service users have reported the following benefits from participating in Jigsaw NI’s activities:

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Mission Statement, Aims & Objectives

Mission Statement:

“Jigsaw NI encourages adults with disabilities to participate in activities and learn new skills in a fun and supportive environment.”

Aims:

Objectives:

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Structure of Jigsaw NI

Management Structure

Directors of Jigsaw NI

Chair Mr George Briggs Hon. Secretary Mrs Alison Moss Treasurer Mrs Nora Harte Director Mr Terry Woodside Director Ms Fionnuala McCaughley Director Ms Sharon Gillespie Director Ms Mairéad O’Halloran Director Mrs Anita Deery

Manager & Company Secretary Mrs Clare McQuiston Programme Assistant Programme Co-Ordinator Ms Liz Bowman Ms Rachel McDade Instructors, Coaches, Artists, Tutors & Volunteers

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Jigsaw NI Arts

Jigsaw NI art groups are very popular with many of our service users. Our artists have been working with Jigsaw NI groups for several years and have an understanding of what our service users want to get from the class. Every service user is unique and goes to the class for different reasons. We currently have 5 art groups running, 4 of which run in areas of urban deprivation where it is often more difficult for people with disabilities to access services:

*One of our service users working hard at our Glen CC Wednesday group

The art activities aim to provide a consistent source of social outlet and artistic opportunity by running workshops on a weekly basis for forty weeks of the year. The group dynamic is of great importance to Jigsaw NI and we aim to create a socially inclusive environment, whereby everyone is included, respected and feels comfortable. Having created the correct environment, we then concentrate on the practical aspect of the art class. Programmes are constructed with the direction of the group, considering the preferences and specific needs of the group service users. The community artists role

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is to be supportive and facilitative and so the service users have much control of their own experiences in the workshop and so gain a sense of ownership of their own class. This year our groups worked on various individual pieces using various mediums and themes to produce some lovely pieces of work. Pictured below are some photos of the quality pieces produced by our service users.

It is evident within the Jigsaw NI groups that the service users are always gaining in self-esteem, through the support available from other service users, artists and volunteers.

*Service user - Collette showing her beautiful canvas

*One of our service users colourful glass vase painting

*Service user – John showing his lovely print work

*Service user – Maria Elena showing her beautiful lilies made out of pipe cleaners

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SWIMMING & EXERCISE IN WATER

Jigsaw NI have two swimming groups and two exercise in water groups that meet weekly for forty weeks of the year. One of the swimming groups is held in Olympia LC and the other swimming group and exercise in water groups are held in Lisnasharragh LC. Qualified leaders are present to encourage and support our service users, to give them advice and exercises to do and if appropriate, to encourage them to learn to swim. There are also lifeguards in attendance at all times. A hoist/pool pod is provided in the centres we use, which helps service users with complex mobility problems to enter the pool.

These sessions have taken place for several years and are very popular with service users. Groups attending are made up of both genders. The benefits derived from using the pool include exercising the whole body with support from the water, being able to mobilise joints, increased self-esteem and confidence in the water, being able to feel and move parts of the body that they can’t out of the water, and learning specific skills.

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Boccia

Boccia is an inclusive sport that can be tailored to suit children and adults of all abilities. It is a Paralympic sport and has some similarities with indoor bowls. The aim of the game is for each team to propel and land their boccia balls closer to the white jack than their opposing team. Boccia is a great way of getting people active, while adding a little competitive edge when playing games.

Weekly sessions of boccia take place in Divis CC, Glen CC and Connswater CC in Belfast and in Skipperstone CC, Bangor. The boccia groups are very popular with our service users. The boccia sessions are good fun with a lot of playful banter with service users really enjoying the activity, which is shown by the great attendance records throughout the year.

*Service users enjoying games of boccia.

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Thankfully our annual boccia tournament was able to be held this year again and we had 9 teams competing in it. It was a great day’s fun and we had teams from all four of our groups competing on the day with ‘Mary’s Mates’ from Glen CC group coming out on top to win the coveted shield.

*Action shot from this year’s Jigsaw NI boccia tournament

*Winning Team – Mary’s Mates, Glen CC with coaches

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We also had teams that entered The Andy & Nessie Ross Memorial tournament, The Dedication tournament, and the Sam Hunter Memorial boccia tournament organised by Boccia NI. The teams unfortunately didn’t win any of these tournaments but played really well in them, making the semi-final in the Sam Hunter Memorial boccia tournament. This is a great achievement as teams come from all over Belfast, Newtownabbey and Antrim to participate in these tournaments and they are always competitive. The consistency and improvement of the service users is evident. The groups are coached by a qualified boccia leader on a weekly basis and service users really enjoy this activity.

Fitness/Boccia Class

The Bangor boccia/fitness class which takes place in Skipperstone CC is very much a user-led group, with the group discussing ideas of what activities they will do. This year the group mostly played boccia, board games, chair-based activity, baking, quizzes and circuits. The weekly class is on a Tuesday and is enjoyed by all the participants. It is hoped that this class will continue to grow, and more people will benefit from this group.

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2024 Summer Activities

We provided a four-week summer scheme again this year for our service users in Belfast and in Bangor. We are very grateful again to have received funding from the “Black Santa sit-out fund” to help cover the costs of the summer scheme this year.

The Belfast summer schemes consisted of all South and East Belfast groups coming together on a Tuesday in Connswater Community Centre, North and West Belfast groups coming together on a Wednesday in Divis Community Centre and Bangor groups coming together on a Thursday in Skipperstone Community Centre to participate in a range of different activities, i.e. bingo, quiz, warm ups, boccia, target games etc. The summer scheme was a great success, with those attending enjoying the activities and a day out of the house. There was very positive feedback from service users at the end of the summer schemes.

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Comments

‘I am very happy with my experience of Jigsaw. There are always prompt responses and there are a good variety of different groups and locations to suit everyone’

Síofra (Referral agent)

‘Service is very good, and I would like to thank everybody’

Margaret (Service user)

‘The water exercise with Keira has made a huge impact on my health & wellbeing. It has improved my balance, strength, mood & confidence. I really look forward to Thursdays. Absolutely love it!’

Grainne (Service user)

‘I’d like to thank everyone involved in Jigsaw NI, they have done a lot for my husband over the years and he has met so many good friends, thank you’

Moira (Relative of Service user)

‘When I first went to exercise in the water I had no strength in my arms and legs. Now for the first time I was able to get out of pool by the steps. Six months ago I only dreamed of being able to do that again. So proud of myself, thank you’

Alison (Service user)

‘Anyone I have going to Jigsaw really enjoy it and have made great connections and friends’

Andrea (Referral agent)

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Highlights for 2023 – 2024

This year has been a good success with a total of 156 individual participants (72 male 46.2% and 84 female 53.8%) taking part in 520 sessions (1’040 hrs). Jigsaw NI activities are held throughout Greater Belfast and North Down and Ards areas.

Through continuous monitoring and evaluation, we continue to improve our services, giving our service users, working partners and funders the opportunity to contribute their observations and ideas for improvement of our existing programmes and possible suggestions for future activities that may enhance the work of Jigsaw NI.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to take this opportunity to thank the following organisations for their help and support throughout the year.

Belfast HSCT

South Eastern HSCT

Black Santa sit-out Fund

BCC – Support for Sport

National Lottery Community Fund People and Communities

The Julia and Hans Rausing Trust

Jigsaw NI also wishes to thank Connswater Community Centre, Glen Community Centre, Divis Community Centre and Townsend Enterprise Park for their on-going support and assistance and for any donations received throughout the year.

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