Michael Jones Jeweller donates £24,000 to Workbridge

Michael Jones Jeweller in Northampton have kindly donated £24,000 to Workbridge, a vocational centre which provides people with the opportunity to gain both technical and life skills.

Michael Jones Jeweller and Workbridge have a long-standing relationship; Michael Jones himself was part of the initial group that set up Workbridge almost 40 years ago and he became the founding Chairman of Workbridge, for 18 years. Michael passed away in 2017 but Workbridge and the jeweller’s relationship continues.

The £24,000 was raised at an special event in June to mark the jewellers’ 100th birthday. It was an evening of celebration with entertainment by opera singer, Lesley Garrett, as well as an auction to raise money for Workbridge. The money donated will be put towards opening a gift shop in memory of Michael and will display the wonderful quality products created by our Workbridge service users.

Helen Wright, head of Workbridge, attended the event along with Tom Cooney who is a service user.. Helen shared the following: “Everyone at Workbridge is so grateful for the continued support we receive from the Michael Jones staff and their customers. Anne Jones regularly visits Workbridge and our service users; it is always lovely seeing her. It is a fitting tribute to Michael Jones to open a gift shop in his memory, where we can sell beautifully made products by our service users, including canvas prints. We are only at the planning stages and face many challenges but we are very positive about the future.”

Workbridge receives an annual payment from Michael Jones’ legacy, and staff volunteer their time to support both us, ten of the jewellers’ staff have given nearly 80 hours of their time voluntarily in the past year, with more volunteering planned in the future.

To find out more about Michael Jones Jeweller, click here. For more information about Workbridge, click here.