Charity Spotlight: Jigsaw

An Ireland where every young person’s mental health is valued and supported

We'd like to know about your charity. Tell us who you are and what inspired the creation of your charity.

Jigsaw is Ireland’s National Centre for Youth Mental Health. We provide free therapy and confidential mental health support to young people aged 12 to 25 all across Ireland.

We exist because more and more young people are struggling, and too many don’t know where to turn or can’t get the support they need early enough. Jigsaw was set up to change that. To make sure there is somewhere to go, someone to talk to, and real support when it matters most.

Over the years, we’ve supported more than 70,000 young people and their families across Ireland, and that number keeps growing as more young people reach out for support.

At its core, it’s about helping young people feel heard, understood, and a bit more like themselves again.

What impact does your work have on the community?

We support young people directly, but we also support the people around them. Teachers, parents, friends. That means the impact doesn’t stop with one person, it spreads out into classrooms, homes and communities.

And the need for that support is only growing. In Ireland, almost half of teenage girls report low mood or are at risk of depression, which gives a sense of the scale of what young people are dealing with.

One of our runners last year, Sadbh, is a teacher and sees this first-hand. She spoke about how young people begin to come back into themselves, becoming more confident and able to express how they feel.

"It’s giving young people their voice and their communication back at a time they might not have had it." – Sadbh

That’s what it’s about. Helping young people feel like themselves again and reminding them they’re not on their own.

We’re also seeing more and more people come to us for support. Demand for our services has increased by 18% in the last five years, and the number of appointments we provide has grown by over 50% as we try to meet that need.

Would you like to share a success story that really represents what you do?

Sadbh’s story really sums it up.
She ran the Mini Marathon with Team Jigsaw and works with young people every day. For her, it wasn’t about times or pace. It was about doing something positive for young people and supporting something she sees the value of every day.

She described how powerful it feels to know that even a small amount raised can make a real difference:

"Every time I go out for a run… I think if I can put an extra euro towards a young person getting their voice back… I really don’t think I could do any more." – Sadbh

And on the day itself, she summed up the experience in a way that’s hard to top:

"It’s magic… it really is. It’s like Christmas Day." – Sadbh

That mix of doing something fun, pushing yourself, and being part of something meaningful is what makes it so special.

How has being part of the Vhi Women's Mini Marathon supported your charity's mission?

It’s huge for us. Events like the Vhi Women’s Mini Marathon help us raise the funds we need to keep our services free and accessible, especially at a time when more young people than ever are reaching out for support. But just as important is everything around it.

From the moment someone signs up with Team Jigsaw, they’re part of something. There’s a real sense of being in it together, and that really comes to life on the day.
As Sadbh put it:  "It felt like a little family all together, out fundraising for the same cause." – Sadbh

Race day itself is just brilliant. The atmosphere, the crowds, the energy. There’s always someone cheering you on, and there’s always something happening around you. "There’s not one stretch of the route that’s silent… everyone is out cheering you on." – Sadbh

It’s fun. It’s emotional. It’s something people remember. And underneath all of that, there’s a really important reason for doing it.

Every step, every euro raised, helps us keep up with that growing demand and make sure a young person has somewhere to turn when they need support.

Contact Info:

Telephone: 087 703 1666 | Email: steven.short@jigsaw.ie | Website: Visit Jigsaw.ie | The National Centre for Youth Mental Health