"My daughter was very upset when she arrived at hospital but as soon as she saw the painting, she calmed down and immediately joined in. The girls were extremely kind and encouraging to her and what had been a horrible experience for her was transformed into fun. This also made the procedures later much more straightforward. This is an excellent service and I do hope it continues."

"Great idea! Really helps to take her mind off everything else. This is our second time here and she is in seventh heaven."

"It is our first time at the Sick Kids hospital. I’m truly surprised about the waiting area atmosphere – like entering an arts and play gallery. The painting was the best to calm my sick and very irritated daughter down and to help her lose her fear and clinginess in this unfamiliar place."

"She knows she’s having a jag today but isn’t bothered anymore! Great distraction!"

"For those that don’t think it makes a difference, they should try sitting in a hospital waiting room with two kids for three hours!"

"What a great idea to make long waiting times 'shorter'!"

"The Teapot Trust is a great idea. Helps pass the time while waiting to see the doctor. My child has met the staff regularly at the hospital and it’s helped take her mind off nervous procedures such as blood tests. A very worthwhile service."

"Think this is a great idea. Kids are often nervous or bored waiting for appointments. It's a good way to relax them and also helps keep parents calm if kids are occupied. Good for siblings too! Brilliant idea!"

"X hates coming to the hospital, she becomes very stressed. The arts and crafts is a great distraction and helps her to worry less."

"Hello, I think this service is wonderful. It makes a big difference in the O.P.D. You can take away the boredom and sadness from the sick kids, swap it with having fun and spending a lovely doing art and craft activities with lovely and kind people. It helps the parents as well, so instead of watching their child waiting and looking tired and fed up, they instead watch them enjoying themselves!! Thanks and all best wishes."

"What a wonderful treat for M to come in and express herself through art/messy play, when she had been so anxious about her visit to hospital today."

"Such an amazing charity. Just wanted to say thank you as your team make my little girl's routine rheumatology appointments fun and exciting to attend at Yorkhill. Without your team, she wouldn't have anything happy to associate hospital with. Thanks again. Xxx"

"I take my daughter to GOSH every 4-6 months for ongoing tests and consultations. She is autistic and has some complex learning difficulties. Despite efforts at home and school, she has never shown any interest in arts and crafts until she met Jane at the GOSH Outpatients Dept. Jane's calming voice and appealing creativity slowly encouraged her to engage with her and participate in the fabulous creations. Her anxiety levels increase enormously with the very thought of these appointments, until the one today. All the way on the train, she was hoping that Jane would be there, and sure enough, there she was a constant friendly face. Thank you Jane for being a magnet to children like my daughter and for making what could quite easily be a negative, into a huge positive. Thank you from the bottom of my heart."

"We have recently moved to Edinburgh and the Teapot Trust makes our clinic visits so much more fun. The art and craft activities provide a distraction for my 7-year-old daughter as she waits for her blood test to be taken and tested and something to look forward to after she’s had her bloods done. It promotes talk and interaction with other children around the table and is a lovely medium for her to interact with other children with type 1 diabetes and other chronic illnesses. The helpers are always friendly and welcoming and this helps to relax my daughter and encourages her participation. At our last clinic (Switzerland) there were books and toys in the waiting room but nothing like the Teapot Trust and my daughter is far less anxious about coming to clinic now. When I have a long session of meetings with the diabetic team it’s great that my daughter is occupied and happy in my absence and has a lovely clay sculpture or piece of art to take home."

"I have experienced first-hand the amazing work of the Teapot Trust. They supported my eldest daughter through her countless visits to hospital. The Teapot Trust, through Art Therapy, is a most welcome distraction for children when they are visiting hospital. It certainly helped my daughter, where she would look forward to her hospital visits, which in turn helped her through her consultations."

"Thank you so much to the two lovely ladies providing activities in outpatients today at the sick kids. My son really enjoyed playing and painting the clay. Really helped him to relax prior to seeing the consultant."

"I was wondering if you could pass on my thanks to the lovely lady who attends the GOSH clinic. We were in on Friday and my little girl E was feeling pretty terrible and tired and once again she was able to work her calm magic and bring a smile to her face before her appt. It made the world of difference to us and meant E was happier for her Dr to examine her, I think otherwise she would have been too upset with the pain to allow anyone to touch her. I'm not sure if she realises how much she does in such a short space of time- her ability to read how a child is feeling and cater to that is lovely. I watched her build a young boy's confidence with a few words and at the same time be sensitive to my quiet girl's needs... Thank you for all the great work you do with our special children."

“’I’ told us to get to the hospital early for her appointment so she could do art first! She takes her artwork into school to show her friends and teachers.” GOSH, April 18

“Brought my 4-year-old to a rheumatology appointment at GOSH today. This is our 3^rd appointment in 3 different hospitals this week. We were so lucky to have Jane with a table full of fun arts & crafts in the waiting room. What a brilliant way to keep our little ones busy while they wait to be seen. It is the little things like this that make GOSH our favourite hospital out of all the hospitals my daughter attends. Thank you Teapot Trust! I will be downloading a fundraiser pack.” GOSH, April 18

“I wanted to briefly Thank you for your service at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh.  We are in Livingston but we travel to the Sick Kids in Edinburgh for my daughter's 3 monthly diabetic clinic review rather than attend our local hospital in part because of your services. What a difference to the whole feel of the appointments with your presence and that of the specifically trained and child-friendly NHS staff and premises. My daughter feels like it is a trip out for the afternoon, almost as good as soft play in her words.

Thank you so much for your hard work and wonderfully friendly and helpful staff.”