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:

• 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. An example is a targeted media and digital campaign that ran in autumn 2021.

• Improved mental health

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 to widen access

Research work is active to provide a deeper understanding of why and how art therapy is an effective psychological tool enabling wider access to it e.g. in schools as well as medical settings. 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 are intended to have real application – equipping and enabling parents to support their children to best effect.

• Influencing health policy change

In view of the extent of unmet need – with around 1 in 4 children and young people in the UK living with a chronic condition or a physical disability – Teapot Trust is active in engaging politicians at Holyrood and Westminster to highlight young people’s lived experience to influence policy change. The charity serves on health-related Cross-Party Groups in the Scottish Parliament and  responds to health consultations.

• Learning opportunities and routes into employment for young people

Teapot Trust is a Disability Confident charity. Given the unconscious bias against people with disabilities that is common in workplace recruitment, an indirect benefit of Teapot Trust’s art therapy is helping young people into work through the improved self-esteem it provides. The charity’s Young Voices work actively supports this with speakers who have triumphed over adversity giving talks to inspire our young people. The charity also provides work experience for local young people in East Lothian and supports Queen Margaret University’s MSc Art Psychotherapy by providing work experience for students. Finally, the charity is committed to delivering a biennial conference to share best practice in art therapy for children and young people – the next event will take place in 2023.

 

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]