Sarah Randell Chief Executive Expand Teapot Trust is led by CEO, Sarah Randell, supported by a committed staff team of 6 (4.6 FTE), 16 professionally qualified and registered art therapists retained on a self-employed basis (5 FTE) and 6 trustees who bring a rich mix of skills and experience. In post since May 2019, Sarah is far-sighted strategically and highly relational in her approach. She has empowered staff and worked to achieve a sustainable model and equitable access to the charity’s art therapy services. Sarah previously held Development Director and Head of Fundraising roles in a national charity, a respected theatre, and a large school. She was also Deputy Director of a national membership organisation where her focus was helping member charities prepare to pass OSCR's charity/public benefit test. Outside work, Sarah loves all-consuming creative activities – particularly portrait painting and live theatre. She enjoys being outside and often walks East Lothian’s beaches, hills and woodlands to relax. [email protected] Office: 0131 273 4340 Mobile: 07922 423494
Abbie Adamson Research and Administration Assistant Expand Abbie joined Teapot Trust in September 2021 as an Administrative Apprentice. Abbie has a BSc in Public Sociology in which she developed a passion for the exploration of the root causes of social issues and the importance of community engagement. Abbie has experience previously volunteering in administration for third sector organizations. In her spare time Abbie enjoys reading a variety of genres and walking her sisters two dogs, Frankie and Hector. [email protected] Office: 0131 273 4340
Louise Downing Grants Manager Expand Louise has worked as Teapot Trust’s Grants Officer since May 2018. In this role she takes a lead in researching trusts and foundations, in planning and preparing applications, in managing the funding pipeline, and in producing reports for funders. Working part-time (Monday-Wednesday), Louise juggles her responsibilities with finesse and is supported by Sarah and Heather. From her past experience, Louise brings a strong team approach and valuable insights into organisational operations. She is a qualified trainer and has served as Chair of the Volunteer Management Committee of Radio Lollipop at Edinburgh’s Sick Kids and on the board of trustees at North Edinburgh Arts. Married with a young family, Louise was welcomed back from maternity leave in August 2021 and has quickly re-immersed herself in her role. [email protected] Office: 0131 273 4340 Mobile: 07542030470
Ruth Girvan Chair of Trustees Expand Ruth was unanimously voted Chair of Trustees at the May 2022 trustees meeting. Her profile and photograph will be added shortly.
John Kennedy Finance Convenor Expand John is a Chartered Accountant with considerable experience working in public practice. He is a partner in Cowan & Partners CA practice in Leith, where he has provided advice and support to a broad range of clients for over 30 years. John is a highly respected general practitioner, and has a particular interest in charity accounts. As an auditor, he took responsibility for a broad range of audits including a number of local and high profile charities. John also has considerable experience as a charity Independent Examiner. John has served as Treasurer and Trustee of a major UK charity and a large Scottish charity as well as a number of local charities. John will retire from business in April 2022. In joining Teapot Trust, he is keen to bring his professional knowledge and experience to the Trustee role, where he will have a particular focus on finance.
Dr Laura N Young MBE Board Member and Founder Expand Laura is a pioneer in art therapy and arts for wellbeing services for children and young people in hospitals. With her husband John, Laura founded Teapot Trust in 2010 to redress the balance in care for children with hidden and/or complex rheumatology conditions by providing art therapy to support their mental wellbeing. Through Laura’s tenacity and the hard work of the Teapot Trust team this ground-breaking work has helped put art and creativity on the mental health agenda, the importance of which has been recognised by a number prestigious awards. Since 2018, Laura has also held a Trustee position at National Museums Scotland, which she enjoys as it reminds her of her first job when she trained at the Science Museum, after University. She was on the Court of Queen Margaret University for 3 years 2016 – 2019. She has attended Downing Street, on three occasions: as a social entrepreneur, for International Women’s Day and as a significant NHS partner for an [email protected] meeting. Offering a trusted, independent viewpoint, Laura is studying for a Masters in Executive Coaching, and works as an Executive coach enabling Founders and CEOs to have dedicated time for strategic thinking and planning, leading to greater fulfilment. Passionate about wellbeing and interested in what makes an organisation and its people resilient, she is expanding her executive coaching remit to include health and wellbeing and nearly completed her Accredited Health Coaching Skills with TPC Health. As a speaker her focus is on founding charities, the lived experience of chronic conditions, coping with grief and on what makes us resilient and happy i.e. good mental health and wellbeing. She is a Guild Fellow at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge; received an Honorary Doctorate from Queen Margaret University in 2015, and in 2016 was awarded an MBE in recognition of her services to children with health conditions. Laura is also a Mental Health First Aider.
Niki Ferguson Art Therapist Expand I started working for the Teapot Trust in the autumn of 2014, initially running open groups in the rheumatology department at the Children’s hospital in Glasgow, providing a creative outlet for children attending the outpatient clinics. I have also provided one-to-one sessions for the Rheumatology department and worked on the children’s oncology ward in Edinburgh. A number of years ago I moved to work on the children’s psychiatric wards, having worked with the under 12’s and currently adolescents. In the past 14 years I have worked in a number of other settings in health, social care and education providing art therapy to children and families and currently work with young offenders in prison. In my spare time, I enjoy being creative, most recently jewellery making and also love roller skating or being outdoors in nature; walking or in my garden.
Jennifer Martin Board Member Expand Jen is a highly experienced communications lead for change programmes at NatWest Group. Often specialising in strategic, regulatory and legal change programmes, Jen is passionate about quality, consistency and using data and insight to guide to the right solutions. Out with the day job, Jen has worked with The Prince’s Trust as a mentor to young people. This is Jen’s first trustee position having decided that now her youngest child has started school, it was time to devote more of herself to charities that will make a difference to people’s lives. Her enthusiasm for Teapot Trust is born from the recognition of how creative therapies can positively affect children and their families through the most trying of times.
Rebecca Young Voices of Invisible Illness Ambassador Expand 20 Tell us about yourself I’m half Icelandic and half Scottish. I have a type of arthritis but that doesn’t define me, that is not who I am. I’m very open, friendly, creative person. I love anything artsy. I’m currently in college finishing my makeup and hair dressing qualification. I used to be a makeup artist working in mac. Then I lost my job because of lockdown. I took a whole new path and started being a community care worker. I love that. It’s totally different to what I was doing at college. I love helping other people which is why I want to do as much as I can by speaking up about my experiences in life and hope it helps someone else. What is it like living with a chronic condition? Since I was young it was always obvious that something wasn’t quite right but as a young person, you’re always told that your joint pains are just ‘growing pains’. I got told the same thing over and over again. At 9 years old it got really bad. If it wasn’t for my mum and the fight she put up for me then I wouldn’t have got the help that I did, but that took until I was 14 to get officially diagnosed. From that I developed a lot of mental health issues because when you’re constantly rejected, constantly not believed you start thinking what’s wrong with me or is it all in my head. The two always go together, which I like to always express to people as well, because when you’re going through physical pain it causes a lot of mental pain as well. Day to day now I am in so much pain, some days more than others. Don’t get me wrong there are always better days and worse days. I’ve burnt myself out a lot of times by being constantly on the go but it’s about finding the happy medium for yourself. At 20 now I’ve found that, but it was one of the worst things I’ve had to go through. What needs to change to support young people? I think if more people can speak up about their chronic illnesses to bring awareness these hidden illnesses, we can educate the general public and then hopefully their will be more understanding for young people going through the daily struggle of living with a chronic illness. How has Teapot Trust supported you? At 14 I thought there was never going to be any positives in my life. I was struggling to walk, I couldn’t get to the toilet on my own, I couldn’t walk down the stairs. I used to very much live in the future, thinking about when maybe things would get better. But you have to focus on the now. Just talking and accepting that was the way that I found my strategies to cope so therapy was a huge thing. Therapy really helped me to open up about how I felt. I used to bottle everything in. I used to think of it as levels and I would get to the top and I would have a breakdown or get really angry if it got too much. I learned through therapy to express myself and talk about it. I tell that to everyone in my life now. That if you talk about it, it will help, however much you don’t want to. It was becoming too much to handle within myself and within my head. When my mental state got better, I saw the difference with my physical because I was able to deal with it better. The two really do go hand in hand. Now I’m walking about, working in care, it was stuff I could have never imagined for myself. It’s the process of learning to accept and find a way that works for you. What would you say to anyone who is considering art therapy? I’m forever happy that I went through the really tough times. I’d come from a session and sleep for 3 hours because I was so drained, but it was all worth it now. The hardest thing is acceptance but once you accept your diagnosis things become a lot more positive.
Daisy Young Voices of Invisible Illness Ambassador Expand Age 9 Highlands Tell us about yourself I’ve had arthritis since I was 2 ½ I like running around outside and playing with my friends I love animals, pokemon and Harry Potter so pretty much like other 9yr olds except the arthritis which is a pain! What is it like living with a chronic condition? It is so difficult. I get injections every week and I’m tired a lot of the time. My friends don’t always remember that I have arthritis and grown ups don’t always understand. What needs to change to support young people? It would be nice if people had more understanding. Maybe you could get something to let people know. Maybe scientists could invent something to tell people if they have arthritis How has Teapot Trust supported you? In many different ways. Sometimes I get really anxious and art therapy helped. I’m a bit more open now about discussing my arthritis now. What would you say to anyone who is considering art therapy? Do it its helped me and it might help you
Ava Young Voices of Invisible Illness Ambassador Expand Aged 11 County Durham Tell us a little bit about yourself I’m Ava and I am 11 years old, I have Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis and was diagnosed just after my first birthday so I have never known any different. I enjoy ice skating, climbing, art and puzzles. My favourite food is sushi. I am also interested in the environment. What is it like living with a chronic condition? It’s really hard sometimes as it stops me from doing stuff, I struggle with everyday tasks and that worries me and makes me feel sad. I always find winter hard and sometimes others don’t understand. What needs to change to support young people? People need to be more aware of the challenges and pain of living with arthritis and that children also suffer from this How has Teapot Trust supported you? I have met others living with a chronic condition and it has really helped me to know I am not alone, I used to have an art therapy class on a Wednesday and looked forward to it as I was able to talk to others who understand what I go through. Some weeks I would log onto the class feeling low and would always come away feeling happier. What would you say to anyone who is considering art therapy? I would urge them to do it as it really helps you to feel less alone and brightens up your day!
Caitlin Meagher Supporter Engagement Manager Expand Caitlin joined Team Teapot in March 2018 to increase the charity’s community engagement. Now, she manages supporter relationships while juggling a busy schedule of fundraising campaigns and challenges – encouraging individuals, friendship groups and corporate colleagues to participate. Caitlin is a people person. Her warm and assured style has been praised frequently by supporters and colleagues alike. She enjoys the fast-paced nature of her role, especially interacting with stakeholders and seeing the impact of the charity's work. Her flexible approach and broad skill-set make Caitlin a real asset to the team. She's our tech/digital guru, who took a lead in producing Teapot Trust's Art Therapy At Home resource materials at the start of lockdown, which have been used over 30,000 times by children and families. Before joining Team Teapot, Caitlin worked for the State of New York and helped manage public outreach and engagement for historic sites. Having a BA and MSc in Archaeology, Caitlin enjoys spending her free time travelling and exploring historic places, almost as much as she likes being outdoors hiking, gardening, or trying to keep up with her energetic Sprocker, Willow. [email protected] Office: 0131 273 4340 Mobile: 07394558660
Becky Capewell Digital Communications and Database Officer Expand Rebecca (‘Becky’) Capewell has been appointed to the role of Digital Communications and Database Officer and joined Team Teapot in April 2021. Becky joins us from Macmillan Cancer Support when she was Marketing Exec, managing a number of digital campaigns. She brings highly relevant experience of the donor journey. Prior to that, Becky worked in fundraising support at the British Red Cross so her experience is rooted in the charity sector. Having studied fashion, Becky’s passion is photography which will be extremely beneficial in creating and curating social media content for Teapot Trust. Her role will link closely with and be line-managed by Caitlin, our Supporter Engagement Manager. We’re delighted to welcome Becky, who is re-locating to Edinburgh, and supporting her to settle into the role. We have every confidence she’ll be great! [email protected] Office: 0131 273 4340 Mobile: 07394558663
Claire Howe Business Development Consultant Expand Claire joined Teapot Trust in January 2022 as a Business Development Consultant to support and develop a pipeline of commissioned, income-generating art therapy work for 2022 and beyond. She will also be promoting and selling Teapot Trust art therapy training and resources to art therapists in other health and wellbeing contexts. Claire has recently been Head of Engagement in Scotland for the youth charity, Speakers for Schools and previously, Head of Membership in Scotland for the CSR charity, Business in the Community. Outwith work, Claire loves cooking, animals and exercise. As well as having a son who has just started high school, she has a very needy British Shorthaired cat called Luna! She is a member of a local gym and particularly enjoys yoga, swimming and circuit training. [email protected] Mobile: 07982 259441
Erin Young Sessional Art Therapist Expand I started working for the Teapot Trust in Feb 2020, to provide Art Therapy at the Great North Children's Hospital. The post was to work within the Rheumatology department and with Bridges School which is in the hospital. When the lockdown started about a month later, we moved to working online. Since then, I have provided 1-1 and Dyadic Art Therapy to young people and their parents over an online video platform. It's been a privilege to work with the young people and see their confidence grow in each session. I qualified and registered as an Art Therapist in June 2019 with an MSc in Art Psychotherapy from Queen Margaret University. Since then, I have worked as a Resilience Coach with adults. Currently, I work in an NHS Trust in a CAMHS team and do sessional work for the Teapot Trust. Outside of work I like to do different types of folk dancing and Scottish dancing. I love going on walks and seeing how each season changes the environment.
Patricia Watts Art Therapist Expand I started with the Teapot Trust in April 2015 and work alongside the Paediatric Rheumatology Team at the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow. Prior to Covid-19, I facilitated an open art therapy group for children and young people attending their rheumatology appointments which was energetic and fun! I now offer online 1-1 art therapy sessions with children and young people and enjoy that sessions can still be very creative. I am also working on an art therapy group manual with a team of researchers in partnership with the Teapot Trust and Newcastle University which I am very excited about. Prior to my role at the Teapot Trust, I worked for several other charities offering emotional support to children, young people and their families. When I am not working I am usually at the park with my husband, son and daughter, and I enjoy art, cooking, charity shops and gardening.
Rachel Moir Art Therapist Expand Rachel started at Teapot with her university placement in April 2018, she went on to co-facilitate an open group at a children's hospital. Today, Rachel supports children in one to one and group sessions, both online and in person. She also leads Teapot Trust's Young Voices group. The sessions were designed to support the young people Teapot Trust supports to use their voices to advocate for themselves and others whilst building their confidence. They provided the opportunity to meet other young people with long term conditions in a fun and engaging environment. Rachel is an art therapist qualified in BA(Hons) Fine Art at Edinburgh School of Art and MSc Art Psychotherapy (International) from Queen Margaret University. Rachel is registered with the Health and Care Professional Council and the British Associated of Art Therapists. Rachel specialises in working with children and young people in education and health settings. Rachel loves exploring Scotland, wild swimming, hill walking, getting outdoors!
Megan Keane Art Therapist Expand Megan joined the Teapot Trust as an art therapist in January 2020. She is based in Newcastle and provides art therapy services in the Great North Children’s Hospital in the Bridges hospital school and the rheumatology department. Megan offers one to one sessions on the hospital wards and runs online groups for patients at the hospital. Megan also works at Collingwood school and media arts college one day a week and provides online art therapy sessions for several Teapot Trust projects, providing as many opportunities as possible for children and young people to try art therapy, to meet others with similar experiences and difficulties and to explore through creativity. Before joining the Teapot Trust Megan has worked in mental health hospitals, schools and on lots of art projects in north east England and in Helsinki, Finland. Megan studied Master’s fine art and glass making in the UK and Finland before qualifying as an art therapist in 2019. Outside of art therapy Megan loves swimming and trying out new recipes and crafts but her favourite thing to do is going on adventures with her dog Ash, the Italian Spinone, who loves exploring the countryside and looking out for birds and squirrels to make friends with!
Pippa Fishlock Art Therapist Expand I started working with the Teapot Trust in July 2020 on their pilot project with Southampton Children’s Hospital. This has been a really special opportunity to support a new group of young people and their families, as they navigate all the challenges of living with an illness. Since starting with the Teapot Trust I have worked exclusively online with young people due to the ongoing pandemic. As much as I miss all the fun and the mess of the art materials which you have in face-to-face work, I have enjoyed working with lots more young people who, otherwise, might not have had access to Art Therapy. Before working with the Teapot Trust, I offered Art Therapy to children who had experienced loss in Tanzania. I worked as a Senior Practitioner in a London Art Room at Place2Be. I have also offered Art Therapy within CAMHS and in a number of school contexts. When I am not working, I love spending time with family, running art mornings for busy mums, and making art and food from foraged things!
Marjory Watt Art Therapist Expand I began working at the Teapot Trust in February 2012. Initially, I was part of a pilot project to bring art therapy to Rachel house, children’s hospice. After this I worked at Edinburgh Sick Kids Hospital running art therapy open groups within the rheumatology department on an outpatient basis, I also worked in the oncology ward on Saturday mornings. I worked there for many years and then moved on to work in the Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy and Ninewells Hospital Dundee within these hospitals I ran open art therapy groups and one to one art therapy sessions. I have been involved in several other projects run by the teapot Trust. I have felt really privileged to have been able to work with such amazing children, young people and their families through the teapot trust. Alongside working with the teapot Trust I have run my own private clinical practice and worked within many organisations as an Art Psychotherapist and as a clinical supervisor. I have been an Art Psychotherapist since 1997. I am also a Yoga teacher and Tutor; I have taught yoga and meditation for 40 years. I love producing my own art, practising yoga, visiting galleries, walking, running and knitting. One of my main interests is learning about and creating Labyrinths.
Nicola Kennell Art Therapist Expand I started working with Teapot Trust in the autumn of 2014. I really enjoy my work with Teapot Trust, working within the remote areas of Highland in the North of Scotland. Since Covid-19 affected our lives, I have met with children and families online for their sessions, pleased to have been able to stay connected with them during these difficult times. It has been fantastic to be able to reach more families this way as some may live miles from Inverness in rural areas. Helping children, young people and parents to feel supported throughout their journey of ill health, is an important task. My work enables the young people I support to make positive steps in both managing the challenges of their condition and moving forward with their lives. I do this by providing a safe space to explore how people feel, which helps them to make sense of what is happening to them. Over the last 20 years, my work has been about supporting to help individuals to develop confidence, resilience and recover from difficult experiences in creative and therapeutic ways. In 2013 I founded Green Tree Arts Studio a creative hub for people to explore themselves through art and nature as a means of self-expression and personal development. Outside of work I enjoy going on dog walks, being outside in nature and making art.
Dr Simon Hackett Board Member Expand Dr Simon Hackett is a Consultant Art Psychotherapist in the NHS and a Senior Clinical Lecturer in Mental Health at Newcastle University. Simon has worked as a art therapist for over 20 years in services for children and adults and leads a team of art, dance-movement, drama, and music therapists. He has developed national guidelines for art therapists and has written and published widely in journals and books about evidence and research on arts therapies. Simon has an interest how the arts and creativity can help support and improve children's mental health and he is the Arts in Health adviser to the Great North Children's Hospital in Newcastle upon Tyne. In his spare time Simon loves being in the outdoors, whitewater canoeing, swimming in rivers, and trail running. He also runs his local community cinema and annual village winter arts festival in Northumberland.
Sponsored Fundraiser Take on a challenge on behalf of Teapot Trust! Expand Sponsored Fundraiser Volunteer - Role Description Title Sponsored Fundraiser Volunteer Location Across the UK Time Commitment Very Flexible - dependent on event Contact Person Supporter Engagement Manager Role Description This role involves participating in a sponsored event of your choice and selecting the Teapot Trust as your charity to sponsor. Tasks Activities are dependent on the event you are participating in. Search UK marathons, cycling events, walk-a-thons, mountain climbs, bungee jump, etc. for charity or check out the Teapot Trust website for upcoming sponsored events that we are promoting. Having fun while raising money for a great cause Promoting your activities Asking people to sponsor you Providing details about your experience and pictures to the Teapot Trust Person Specifications Adventurous spirit Comfortable asking for sponsorship Happy to promote the Teapot Trust Training and Support We will provide T-shirts or vests that you can wear to raise awareness for the Trust during your event. If you'd like, we can help promote your cause via social media and offer useful tips on maximising your sponsorship. We are available and happy to provide any additional support or information when needed. Contact us for sponsorship forms if none are provided through your event. Additional Information A fundraising agreement must be completed before you fundraise on our behalf. Get in touch for more information about the different types of challenges you can take on for Teapot Trust!
Katherine Graham Board Member Expand Katherine has spent most of her career in the financial services industry. A Programme Director by trade, she has managed people change for the Royal Bank of Scotland (now known as the NatWest Group) during some of the most challenging times in banking. Katherine is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, and co-chairs their South East Scotland Committee and Branch. Her academic background is in HR disciplines, holding a MA and MSc from Heriot-Watt and the University of Edinburgh. However, her career path has changed and she is now a technologist! As Head of Transformation for the Security Services function in RBS (NatWest Group), she is rolling out the use of AI and robotic process automation, and having fun looking at gamification and process reengineering. Outside of work, Katherine volunteers at her local Code Club, where young people learn to create games, animations and websites using code. She is also a member of the Board of Management at Forth Valley College, one of Scotland’s leading providers of education and training. She is happiest when running through a theme park after her three young boys, and believes in creating the right opportunities so that everyone in the community can access learning, art therapy, and sources of support, throughout their whole lives.