About Us

Alan Wilkinson, a professional craftsman specializes in the design and construction of custom, site-specific playstructures, playhouses and treehouses. A father himself, Alan understands that our ever increasingly busy lifestyles and lack of public facilities require the need to encourage and enable children to play in a safe and imaginative environment which challenges and stimulates.

"In my day our only constraints on outside play were to be home before dark." Children today don't have quite as much freedom of movement and they cannot wander off unaccompanied. The family garden is the safe haven. The playstructure becomes an outdoor playroom, which complements the garden year on year, whatever the weather - developing not only their physical abilities but also their mind and social skills as well. "Designing and building a playstructure in my back garden for my daughter seemed the perfect solution", says Alan, "Somewhere she could let off steam with her friends or just go to draw or play games. I loved it and so did my daughter - the idea for JIGSAW was born!"

Playground for Life

Children in the African tropics are set to benefit from an ambitious project which was launched by Professor David Bellamy, in Bishop Auckland. The celebrated broadcaster and environmentalist took centre stage at a ceremony celebrating the creation of a link between communities in North East England and West Africa.

Jigsaw has joined forces with Tree Appeal to build their first Playground for Life, a multi-purpose play and learning facility for children, which has now been shipped to the fi shing village of Anomabo in Ghana.

The impressive wooden structure is designed by Jigsaw in the style of a fort, using sustainable timber. Children from Darlington College Childcare Centre were on hand to give the fort a rigorous work-out, and also decorated it with pictures and stories for the benefit of children in Ghana.

Hand-in-hand with this humanitarian effort is a vital environmental conservation project. Tree Appeal will be planting fruit trees close to the village and developing irrigation systems to ensure their survival, while also preserving mature trees in the area.

The presentation of these gifts to the villagers also falls on the day that the world celebrates 200 years since the abolition of the slave trade, March 25 2007. The Playground for Life will become the major playground and learning centre in the village of Anomabo, near the city of Cape Coast.

Jigsaw is a Tree Appeal Partner which means that they are committed to planting broad-leaved trees on behalf of their customers.

Using timber and materials from sustainable sources (FSC Certified), Jigsaw are very mindful of environmental concerns. They have decided to go a step further through their link with Tree Appeal.

Jigsaw will not only be planting trees but also pledge to contribute, through Tree Appeal's Tree Twinning initiative, to worthwhile projects in the developing world.

This year Jigsaw have created a special play structure which has been shipped to Ghana as part of the celebrations for the bicentenary of the abolition of the slave trade.

Alan Wilkinson accepting an award on behalf of Jigsaw from Professor David Bellamy at the 2007 Tree Appeal Awards Evening