One of the most unique community groups discovered through the TrustPower Community Awards has to be the Timaru Jigsaw Puzzle Library.

This voluntary group does not have hundreds of volunteers, nor does it raise thousands of dollars through grants or fundraising.  But what this voluntary group does have is a lot of heart.  It’s an example of how two people can make a real and genuine contribution to their community and the lives of many. 

That’s why the Timaru Jigsaw Puzzle Library won a Commendation at the 2004 TrustPower Timaru Community Awards.

The Timaru Jigsaw Puzzle Library was established 11 years ago by Betty and Alan Ward, who had both retired and wanted to give something back to the community.  As they had always been interested in jigsaw puzzles themselves and had a collection of over 70, they decided to begin a library, which is situated in the garage of their home.

The Library has now grown to have over 1,000 jigsaw puzzles….a collection Alan believes is the biggest in New Zealand.

Betty and Alan are firm believers that jigsaw puzzles stimulate the mind and distract people from their problems.  With many citizens in Timaru limited because of health and physical disabilities, jigsaw puzzles provide a much needed alternative interest, particularly for people in rest homes.

“Jigsaw puzzles keep people’s minds active, especially those who are in wheelchairs or are lonely,” says Alan Ward.

But it is not just the jigsaw puzzles that attract people to the Library.  It is the friendship provided by Betty and Alan, and their kind-hearted listening ear, that people also love.

“The members of the Library become our friends, so we spend a lot of time chatting to our members, listening to problems and helping them where we can,” says Alan.

Currently the Library has around 100 members, with most people hearing about this unique voluntary group through word-of-mouth.  Betty and Alan charge $1 per puzzle, with the borrower allowed the puzzle for up to two months.  With such modest charges it is no wonder the Jigsaw Puzzle Library makes no profit.  All funds that are raised go towards the purchase of new puzzles.

“After a while the puzzles can get a bit tatty, so we sell the older puzzles with the funds from the sales going towards the purchase of new ones.”

The types of puzzles Betty and Alan are buying now are vastly different from the popular puzzles of years ago.

“When we first started people liked puzzles of little scenes, like cottages.  Now those puzzles are not popular at all.  Today, the more action that is in the puzzle, the better!”

Alan says the most popular puzzles are Wasgij puzzles (that’s Jigsaw spelt backwards).  In those puzzles the picture that is on the puzzle is not simply the picture on the box.  Instead, the picture on the puzzle is what the people in the picture on the box are looking at.

“For example there is a puzzle of a bride and groom who have just walked down the aisle.  But once you have finished the puzzle what you are really seeing is what the groom is looking at, which is a hoard of mothers and babies coming towards him,” says Alan.

Alan and Betty both agree that they were gobsmacked to win a Commendation at the TrustPower Timaru Community Awards.  They admit that they were actually about to walk out of the Awards ceremony, as they thought their Library was too small to be part of the Awards, when they heard their names called out.

Although being awarded a Commendation was wonderful, Betty and Alan says the real rewards for their work come from their members.

“It is wonderful to see the pleasure that people get from their puzzles and that is what makes us think that what we do is really worthwhile.”

Today, the certificate they won at the TrustPower Timaru Community Awards still hangs proudly in the Library, which Betty and Alan says they will keep running for as long as they can.

For more information on the Timaru Jigsaw Puzzle Library contact Betty or Alan on 03 688 9126.