Cheryl’s lifer is going to pieces!
Saturday, July 24th, 2010
WHATEVER you do, don’t mention the missing piece of the jigsaw to Cheryl Cox – she’s quite likely to go to pieces at the very thought of it.
Cheryl, you see, has taken on a very special voluntary role for the NSPCC – jigsaw checker. During the coming months, Cheryl will be making up every jigsaw donated to the NSPCC by the Colchester public to make sure no pieces are missing.
Jigsaws have become a popular part of the NSPCC’s annual book-fair in Colchester, but nobody wants the frustration of buying a jigsaw only to find a piece is missing – which is where Cheryl steps in.
Cheryl is Office Manager at Boydens estate agency. The company is a long-time supporter and sponsor of the book-fair and the company’s consultant, Elisabeth Borg, was recently appointed Chairman of the local NSPCC book fair committee as it prepares for its 21st fair in October.
Cheryl is currently balancing her busy day job with dedicating her spare time to putting together as many jigsaws as she can, trying not to become frayed around the edges in the process.
“I used to love jigsaws when I was little and I still enjoy doing one on a cold winter’s night, but this is a real challenge. I’m mostly doing them in the evening but I must admit I find it hard to resist the temptation to spot a piece when I pass a jigsaw in the morning,” said Cheryl.
So far, she’s not come upon a missing piece, though there was one near-miss. “I was putting the finishing touches to a 2,000-piece jigsaw and thought there was one piece missing – then I found it on the floor. I’ve never felt so pleased at finding once little piece of jigsaw!”
By the time the book-fair comes around, Cheryl anticipates having done some 100 jigsaws. “It does become addictive but I have quite a good system in place. I’ve got one set up in the office at the back so anyone passing by the table can do a piece. Any help is very much appreciated,” she said.
The book-fair organisers have had another great response this year but they are still on the look-out for more non-fiction books. Anyone who has books they would like to donate can contact Anne Crisell on 01206 271616.
During its 20 years, the annual book fair has raised more than £150,000 for the charity. It is now the largest non-corporate NSPCC fundraising event in the eastern region. 70 people help during the weekend itself, in October, and around 25 people work throughout the year, collecting, sorting and pricing books.
