Answers to questions you may have…
How do I borrow
something?
We have a guide to help you here.
Why isn’t the item I want available?
We’re sorry about that. Not all of our stock
is available yet, so please fill in this quick form so we can prioritise which items to prepare. If the item is
available to borrow but someone else has it at the moment, we will add you to a
waiting list.
If the item you want is not already in our stock, we
will consider your suggestions on a ‘wish list’ for future purchases.
Can I donate to the Lending Library?
Thank
you so much for thinking of us! If you’re interested in donating a book or
item, please fill in this quick form.
If you would like to support us in other ways, you can find more information here.
Who do your age ranges apply to?
The
ages listed are for the user of the item, for example the person reading the
book. We provide the ages suggested by the manufacturer or author, but everyone
is different and they may not be right for you.
I’m not sure what to borrow, can you help?
Yes,
please contact us or drop in to have a chat. Please bear in mind that we are not
Occupational Therapists or other specialists, but we will do our best to point
you in the right direction according to your family’s needs.
My child’s school would like to borrow
something, is that possible?
Unfortunately
not. We do not have capacity and funding to lend to schools at the moment. We
might be able to connect with them in other ways, however, so please feel free
to point them towards our other services.
What if I love an item so much that I want to
buy it?
Our items are not for sale, but we are more
than happy to tell you where we got something if we know!
I love an item and I want to buy it, but it
is too expensive.
There are sometimes grants available for buying
items like ours. Grants are money from charitable organisations that don’t need
to be paid back. You can see whether you are eligible for the Family Fund or use a grant search
tool, such as turn2us.org.uk.
Why do some items cost more than others?
We calculate our loan costs according to the value of an item, how much it has been used and how many times we think we can lend it before it needs to
be replaced. If something gets used at JIGSAW when it is not out on loan, for example at groups, this also increases the loan cost. The income from loans does not cover the Library's running costs, but we keep prices as low as we can.
What do I do if I can’t afford the cost of a
loan?
In special cases, we may still be able to
lend you items. Please feel free to contact us for more information.
I don’t live in Thornbury. Can I still borrow something?
You
have to be a member of JIGSAW Thornbury to use the SENsory Lending Library.
Unfortunately, we can only accept members from the following postcode areas: BS, BA, and GL
My family member doesn’t have a diagnosis. Can we still borrow
something?
Yes!
JIGSAW Thornbury doesn’t require a child/young person to have a diagnosis for
you to access our services. Our items are suitable for a wide range of
abilities and ages.
Are there services like this elsewhere?
Yes.
We hope that we can help, but we always encourage families to do what is
best for you. We can’t accept responsibility for any other organisations, of
course!
Not too far from us, you could have a look at Gympanzees or Allsorts. You
could also try searching the internet for "toy library" or similar terms.