Imagine the loss of a loved one. Imagine that loved one is your parent. Imagine, when this happens you’re at a very young age. How would you cope with this news?
Pre and post bereavement support for young people is just one of the areas that Pilotlight Partner Charity Jigsaw4u operates within. It provides a huge amount of diverse services in south London and Surrey – everything from mentoring to supporting young runaways – but their work with bereavement is what the charity is best known for. At an event I attended last week at the House of Lords, a celebration of 20 years of Jigsaw4u and its work, I heard an account first-hand from two brothers who lost their father due to a brain tumour and how they were supported by Jigsaw4u through this difficult time. Hearing their experience and the support the charity gave them was incredibly inspiring. I felt, as I do of all the charities I work with through the Pilotlight 360, a huge privilege to have worked with Jigsaw4u, and so proud to hear how far the charity has come since working with us.
In 2014 I managed their project on Pilotlight 360, where I worked with senior leaders at the charity and our team of Pilotlighters (our skilled volunteers) to create a business plan as well as lead a full governance review. We were able to facilitate the initial conversations between trustees and the management team which gave everyone space to explore and challenge each other. By the time the project ended Jigsaw4u had a plan for how it was going to change and improve its governance. It then took these recommendations and conversations and continued to improve how it operates at board level and within the management team. Three years on our work has supported its growth into new areas of work and has helped to extend its geographical reach. Pam Byfield (Director of Operations at Jigsaw4u) recently shared some of the charity’s achievements and her top tips for transforming a board at our recent governance event because the changes she’d made had been so successful!
When I was at the event last week I couldn’t help but think about all the work we’d done, and how our support has really put the charity in a position of strength. Good governance is essential for any organisation to be able to operate effectively, but the more and more I work with small charities, the more I realise that if your board is strong, you really are setting your charity up to succeed in the future. I can’t wait to see where this takes Jigsaw4u. I say bring on the next 20 years!
Are you ready for what the future may hold? If your organisation is based in London, the South East, the South West, and East Anglia and you want to take it to the next level, grow your work or sustain your current activity apply to the Pilotlight 360.
If your charity is based in the North West, the North East, the Midlands or Wales, you can apply to the Pilotlight 360 via the Weston Charity Awards.