Part of Teapot Trust’s Charitable Aims, as defined in our Constitution (refreshed in May 2021 to accurately reflect our work), state that:

“We also seek to have a wider impact and to bring lasting public benefit beyond the charity’s core community of interest by improving both public and professional understanding of the impact of art therapy – often effective where traditional talking therapies have failed.”

There is a clear and demonstrable link between our charitable aims, our core services provided to our immediate community of interest, and work that has wider public benefit.

The outcomes of our art therapy are clear and measurable with 93% of children and young people making positive progress toward their goals. We know conclusively that our work prevents self-harm and suicide ideation – supporting children to cope better and improve their wellbeing.

Examples of indirect benefits which are clearly intended to advance Teapot Trust’s charitable purposes:

• Teapot Trust promotes improved understanding of “Invisible Illness” by giving young people who live with the daily challenges of chronic conditions a voice and a platform. An example is a targeted media and digital campaign that will run throughout November 2021.
• Our website includes a wealth of original Art Therapy At Home resource materials, developed by Teapot Trust art therapists that are freely available to support the wellbeing of children, young people and families beyond our core community of interest. Since March 2020, these have been viewed over 30,000 times and been included on the digital platforms of others including NHS England’s Wellbeing Hub.
• Research work is active to provide a deeper understanding of why and how art therapy is an effective psychological tool. This is Teapot Trust’s ‘legacy’ work for the future. We have two separate ‘live’ projects with the University of Manchester and Great North Children’s Hospital Charity in Newcastle that will add to the body of evidence, helping to make “Creative Health” more mainstream and widely accessible in the future.
• In view of the extent of unmet need – around a quarter of children and young people in the UK live with a chronic condition or a physical disability – Teapot Trust is active in engaging MSPs at Holyrood and MPs in Westminster to highlight young people’s lived experience and to influence policy change. The charity serves on health-related Cross-Party Groups in the Scottish Parliament, responds to consultations and meets MSPs/MPs with an interest in health and constituency representatives in the geographic locations where we work throughout the UK.

In providing its core activities and wider public benefit, Teapot Trust causes no ‘disbenefit’ (detriment or harm) to the public. There is no ‘private benefit’ to anyone. The charity’s trustees are unpaid.

No fees or charges apply to Teapot Trust’s art therapy services. It is important to the charity that no barriers to access, including financial ones, should prevent our community of interest from benefitting.

For further information about Teapot Trust’s contribution to Public Benefit, please contact CEO, Sarah Randell on 0131 273 4340 or email [email protected]