I had the pleasure of meeting with representatives from the Teapot Trust to see first hand the charity’s art therapy service at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh and discuss its value as a critical lifeline for many local families.

The Scottish mental health charity, which uses art to bring healing and coping strategies to children with chronic conditions, has been providing this unique service in Edinburgh for almost 10 years, resulting in thousands of hours of vital therapeutic support.

During the visit we discussed the importance of art therapy as early intervention for children and young people with chronic conditions, to prevent adulthood mental health issues developing, and the tendency for ‘invisible’ chronic conditions to be overlooked or misunderstood in society.

Teapot Trust are doing incredibly valuable work, but it is clear in the current fundraising landscape, that more support is needed to ensure these services can continue to run and help thousands more children. Teapot Trust currently receives no Scottish Government or NHS funding & relies on the support of individuals. Further details can be found at www.teapot-trust.org.