More than 30 organisations operating in the Ripon area – including the city council, retailers, the cathedral, schools and heritage attractions – are featured on a colourful community jigsaw organised and assembled by the Jennyruth Workshops charity.
The project, in which participants were each given a single jigsaw piece to decorate with messages and logos, was made possible with a grant from Ripon City Council.
Anna Smith, Jennyruth Workshops’ publicity and media officer, said:
“Our aim was to involve as many people, places, organisations and establishments that make up the wonderful city of Ripon as we can, in creating a vibrant and unique jigsaw-style display to be showcased around various venues in the city.”
She added:
“It paints a picture of our community and all the diverse ways that we work together, live alongside each other, help and support each other and forge links together, through good times and bad.”
The Pet Shop in Old Market Place, Ripon, is the first to display the jigsaws in its window and owner Jane Fisher told the Stray Ferret:
“We are delighted to be involved with this community project. Jennyruth is a wonderful charity, doing great work and producing very high quality items.”
The jigsaws will remain in The Pet Shop window for two weeks and then move on to another prominent location in Ripon.
The Jennyruth Workshops charity was founded by Barrie and Sue Evason and provides learning through work for adults with learning disabilities.
With support from full-time staff and a team of volunteers, the workers make brightly-painted wooden goods at the charity’s base in Bridge Hewick near Ripon, with products ranging from bee homes and bird houses to Christmas decorations and bespoke goods.
One of the two community jigsaws produced by the Jennyruth Workshops charity
Read more:
- Jennyruth Workshops plans for extend its services
- What does the Ripon Cathedral extension look like?
Despite the coronavirus lockdown, production has continued with the workers – who are aged from 19 to 73 – working from their homes and maintaining contact through daily zoom meetings and an online newsletter.
Barrie, who raised money to set up the workshops through a series of sponsored long-distance walks with son Jonathan, died in February and his ashes will be buried later this year in an urn at a memorial garden created on the workshops site.
