In Teapot Trust’s Constitution (updated May 2021) to accurately reflect our work), we explain how our Charitable Aims are two-fold: 1) our core purpose and 2) the wider, indirect public benefit our work brings.

“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.”

As required by OSCR, 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 advance Teapot Trust’s charitable purposes:

• Improved mental health

Our website includes a wealth of original Art Therapy At Home resource materials that are freely available to support the wellbeing of children, young people and families beyond our core community of interest.

• Improved public understanding

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.

• Research to widen access

Research work is active to provide a deeper understanding of why and how art therapy is an effective psychological tool. This is to create wider access to it. We have two ‘live’ projects with the University of Manchester and Great North Children’s Hospital in Newcastle that are equipping parents to support their children to best effect as they journey through art therapy.

• Development opportunities for young people

Given the unconscious bias against people with disabilities, an indirect benefit Teapot Trust provides is helping young people into work through the improved self-esteem that art therapy gives them. The charity’s Young Voices work actively supports this with speakers who have triumphed over adversity giving talks to inspire our young people. We provide work experience and employment through the Kickstart scheme and we are a Disability Confident employer. We also support Queen Margaret University’s MSc Art Psychotherapy by providing work experience for students.

• Influencing health policy change

Teapot Trust is active in engaging politicians to highlight young people’s lived experience of chronic illness and the health inequalities that exist – to influence policy change and overcome barriers. The charity serves on the Health Inequalities cross party working group at the Scottish Parliament and responds to relevant health consultations.

•  Sharing our learnings with colleagues in Arts and Health

Teapot Trust is committed to delivering a biennial conference to share best practice and learning from research.

No “disbenefit” (detriment or harm)

In providing our 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 individuals. It is important to the charity that no barriers to access, including financial ones, prevent the people we exist to serve from benefitting. To supplement our fundraising we have developed a small income stream from commissioned work from organisations which is perfectly legitimate under charity law.

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