On 10 November 2020, Teapot Trust celebrates 10 years of providing mental health support to children with chronic conditions and their families. From our very first art therapy service in 2011, in what was then called The Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh, to providing support in a number of hospitals and other settings in the UK, we have come such a long way.

Our achievements

We have made a significant difference to the lives of over 12,000 children and young people through our art therapy service, and have reached thousands more though our growing collection of online resources to aid self-care, available on our website and through the NHS.

Our roots are in supporting children with rheumatic conditions, such as Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) and many of our services still do. We now also support service users with a variety of conditions including asthma, diabetes, renal and cancers where the burden of the illness has caused mental health challenges. In the last year we have established successful partnerships with community arts venues in socially deprived areas, widening access to our services – something we plan to grow.

We responded quickly to COVID-19, putting robust safety measures in place so that we could deliver our art therapy online without compromising the integrity of our therapy. We have reached families who would not otherwise have accessed our services, due to living in remote areas. Parents and their children have said how grateful they are for the support during such challenging times, particularly as many of them have been shielding due to weakened immunity.

We have worked with grit and determination to continue to “be there” for the children and families we support, whose views have helped shape our service. Our 10^th anniversary is an opportunity to celebrate all that we have achieved together. We want to celebrate the brave, inspiring children, young people and their families who we have supported throughout our 10-year history, and to thank everyone who has played a part in our story.

Looking back and looking forward

Our Founders, Laura and John Young, set up Teapot Trust after the death of their daughter, Verity, so that other children could benefit from art therapy as she had. Their vision and energy is what established the charity. Now, we have a new and exciting vision for the next 10 years to bring deeper impact and wider benefit.

We are planning a programme of engagement opportunities throughout the year to celebrate with our wonderful supporters, so keep an eye on our website and social media channels, or sign up to our newsletter by emailing: [email protected] 

Here’s to another 10 years of making a difference to the lives of the children and young people who need us.