At Teapot Trust we are always looking for reasons to smile, and what better reason than the 100 children and young people we support every week. Our projects and partnerships are consistently evolving, but here is a snapshot of what a normal week of Teapot Trust activities looks like in May 2024...

Paediatric Open Groups:

Our art therapists run open groups in hospital clinics, with an art table in the waiting area. Often children and families are at clinic for hours, between bloods, nurse appointments, tests, and doctor appointments. The art table is a space for children to escape, process, and be supported by the art therapist. It is also a space siblings can stay throughout appointments, and gives parents an opportunity to switch off between appointments. We currently have open groups happening in: 

• Oncology, Ninewells Hospital
• Rheumatology, Royal Hospital for Children Glasgow
• Sickle Cell, Royal Hospital for Children Glasgow
• Rheumatology, Queen Margaret Hospital, Dunfermline
• Cardiology, Royal Hospital for Children Glasgow

Closed Groups:

Our closed groups are more structured groups, typically run over eight weeks by an art therapist for up to eight children or young people who have the same or similar condition. Over the eight weeks a safe space is created for participants to explore their conditions and develop coping strategies amongst peers. We currently have groups running in partnership with charities, community groups, and hospitals: 

• Muscular Dystrophy UK (online)
• Kinship Carers with The Yard, Edinburgh
• In-patient mental ward at Royal Hospital for Children Glasgow
• National in-patient mental health ward, Glasgow
• Rheumatology, Great North Children's Hospital, Newcastle
• Renal, Southampton
• Whale Arts, Edinburgh

One-to-One Support:

Our one-to-one support involves an art therapist working one-to-one with child or young person, typically over 8-12 sessions. Art therapy is person centred and so a block of sessions looks different from one person to the next. we currently run one-to-one sessions in partnership with: 

• Teenage Cancer Trust, Glasgow
• Queen Margaret Hospital, Dunfermline
• North Edinburgh Arts
• Rheumatology, Royal Hospital for Children Glasgow
• Alder Hey Children's Hospital, Liverpool
• Rheumatology, Raigmore Hospital, Inverness

...and that takes us up to over 100 children and young people being supported every week! A huge thank you to all our supporters who make this possible.